Public Opinion Strategies

What Public Opinion Strategies does

Public Opinion Strategies (POS), founded in 1991 in Alexandria, Virginia, is one of the largest political and public affairs survey research firms in the United States and is described as the largest Republican polling firm in the country. The firm is identified as a portfolio company of GP3 Partners. POS operates a comprehensive research services platform spanning quantitative methods (CATI-enabled telephone surveys with 65%+ cell phone share, internet surveys, mobile surveys, IVR+ polling, mail surveys, and panel/census designs) and qualitative methods (traditional focus groups, Perception Analyzer dial groups for real-time response measurement, webcam focus groups, bulletin board discussion groups, mobile qualitative via SMS, and one-on-one in-depth interviews). Proprietary methodology centers on 'combat message development' that tests both sides of a debate to produce strategic communications and voter-targeting outputs.

The firm's flagship products are the NBC News Poll, co-conducted with Democratic partner Hart Research Associates since 2004, and the quarterly CNBC All-America Economic Survey, co-conducted since 2007. Both are syndicated, bi-partisan instruments and serve as recurring distribution and credibility assets. POS also runs a monthly national omnibus telephone survey of 800 registered voters using Registration-Based Sampling (RBS), which allows multiple clients to share fixed survey infrastructure on a per-question basis. Core customers are federal, state, and local political campaigns and party committees (including NRCC, RGA, and individual Senate, House, gubernatorial, and state-legislative clients – currently representing four governors, nine Senators, and 34 House members), Fortune 500 corporations (Walmart, Google, Procter & Gamble), industry trade associations (over 30, including PhRMA, AMA, ACLI, ABA, ATA), and non-profit/advocacy organizations (Pew Charitable Trusts, Rosalynn Carter Institute, Bipartisan Policy Center, National Council on Aging). Health care is a documented specialty vertical (1,300+ surveys, 1,700+ focus groups on the topic).

Commercially, POS runs a sales-led, professional-services model sold directly to clients through relationships and project-by-project or retainer engagements, with pricing not publicly disclosed. Since 1991 the firm has logged over 11.74 million interviews, 27,600+ projects, and work across all 50 states and 29 foreign countries; marketing relies on earned media via the NBC/CNBC partnerships, a website insights/blog channel, and a small Twitter/X and LinkedIn presence. The firm's 12 partners include the three founders – Glen Bolger, Bill McInturff, and Neil Newhouse – who were jointly inducted into the American Association of Political Consultants (AAPC) Hall of Fame in April 2026; Glen Bolger passed away on June 25, 2026.

Name

Public Opinion Strategies

Legal name

Public Opinion Strategies

Website

https://pos.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Public Opinion Strategies is a US political and public affairs polling firm founded in 1991 that conducts custom survey research, message development, and qualitative research for federal and state political campaigns, Fortune 500 corporations, trade associations, and media partners including NBC News and CNBC.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Political and Public Affairs Survey Research

NAICS

Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (541910), Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (54191)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Policy, Regulatory & Public Affairs Research (BPAHALAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Electoral Support & Election Observation (BPADAGAA), Quantitative Research & Survey Analytics (Survey Design, Sampling, Statistical Modeling) (MPAAALAF), Public Sector & Policy Consulting (BPAHACAN)

Keywords

• Political polling research
• Public opinion surveys
• Campaign message testing
• Focus group research
• Corporate public affairs

Headquarters

HQ city

Point Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Political Campaign Research: Custom polling and message development research for political candidates, party committees, and independent expenditure campaigns at federal, state, and local levels. Clients include U.S. Senate campaigns, gubernatorial campaigns, congressional campaigns, and state legislative caucuses.
2. Corporate and Public Affairs Research: Image, brand, crisis management, and community relations research for Fortune 500 corporations, industry associations, and trade groups. Includes membership and customer surveys, advertising testing, and website evaluation.
3. Public Policy and Issue Advocacy Research: Research for industry coalitions, government entities, and advocacy organizations on complex policy issues including health care, energy, education, finance, telecommunications, and transportation.
4. Syndicated Polling (NBC News / CNBC): Long-running co-branded polling partnerships conducting the NBC News Poll and CNBC All-America Economic Survey, which generate media visibility and credibility for the firm.
5. National Omnibus Surveys: Monthly national omnibus survey with multiple clients sharing costs, allowing clients to obtain national data on key questions for less than a standalone national survey.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Public Opinion Strategies provides custom political polling, public affairs research, and corporate positioning research for political campaigns, Fortune 500 corporations, trade associations, and advocacy organizations. Services include quantitative telephone/online/mobile/IVR surveys, qualitative focus groups (in-person, webcam, mobile, bulletin board, dial groups), and strategic message development. The firm also co-conducts two flagship syndicated polls—the NBC News Poll (since 2004) and the CNBC All-America Economic Survey (since 2007)—in partnership with Democratic firm Hart Research Associates.

Product overview

Public Opinion Strategies (POS) is a national political and public affairs research firm offering a comprehensive suite of research services. The company operates as a GP3 company and conducts two flagship products: the NBC News Poll (with Hart Research Associates since 2004) and the CNBC All-America Economic Survey (since 2007). The research portfolio includes quantitative services (telephone surveys, internet surveys, mobile surveys, IVR+ polling, national omnibus surveys) and qualitative services (traditional focus groups, Perception Analyzer dial groups, bulletin board discussion groups, webcam focus groups, in-depth interviews, mobile qualitative, jury analysis). The firm specializes in 'combat message development' for political campaigns and public affairs, helping clients understand voter attitudes, test messaging, and develop strategic communications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• NBC News Poll A nationally recognized political poll co-conducted in partnership with Hart Research Associates since 2004, covering political attitudes, electoral preferences, and public sentiment on key national issues. Targeted at media audiences and the broader public via the NBC News brand.
• CNBC All-America Economic Survey A quarterly economic survey co-conducted with Hart Research Associates since 2007, measuring consumer confidence, economic outlook, and attitudes toward financial and market trends. Targeted at CNBC's media audience and the broader U.S. public.
• Telephone Surveys
• National Omnibus Telephone Surveys
• Internet Surveys
• Mobile Surveys
• IVR+ Polling
• Traditional Focus Groups
• Perception Analyzer Dial Groups
• Bulletin Board Discussion Groups
• Webcam Focus Groups
• One-on-One In-Depth Interviews
• Mobile Qualitative Research
• Jury Analysis and Selection
• Mail Surveys
• Panel and Census Surveys

Quantifiable outcome

• Helped elect over 90 new members of the U.S. House in 8 election cycles — more than any other polling firm, Democrat or Republican.
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers21 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature9 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered notable, core, flagship and parent/corporate.

• Bipartisan Policy CenternotableStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2025The Bipartisan Policy Center partnered with Public Opinion Strategies to release findings from a December 2025 survey of 1,000 U.S. registered voters on the use of digital mental health tools. The partnership produced research finding that about 3 in 10 U.S. adults have used self-guided online or digital tools for mental health or well-being, with usage particularly high among adults aged 18-44.
• CNBCcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2007Since 2007, POS has co-conducted the quarterly CNBC All-America Economic Survey with Hart Research Associates, described as a premiere indicator of American perceptions of the economy. The survey covers topics including consumer confidence, personal finances, and attitudes toward economic policy.
• Hart Research AssociatesflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2004Hart Research Associates is the Democratic polling partner in the bi-partisan NBC News Poll (conducted since 2004) and the CNBC All-America Economic Survey (since 2007). The two firms work together as a bi-partisan team, with POS providing the Republican perspective and Hart Research providing the Democratic perspective in these nationally recognized polls.
• NBC NewsflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2004Since 2004, Public Opinion Strategies has co-conducted the NBC News Poll with Hart Research Associates, one of the most widely cited and respected national political polls in the country. The firm also previously co-conducted the NBC/WSJ Poll.
• Greenberg Quinlan Rosner ResearchnotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerGreenberg Quinlan Rosner Research is a Democratic polling firm that partnered with Public Opinion Strategies on various research studies, including the Economic Mobility Project for the Pew Charitable Trusts and NPR polling. The two firms have collaborated on multiple bi-partisan research initiatives.
• GP3parent/corporateOthersPublic Opinion Strategies is identified as a GP3 company. GP3 appears to be the parent company or corporate umbrella under which POS operates.
• Horizon StrategiesnotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerHorizon Strategies, an Arizona-based firm, collaborated with POS on post-election research examining the impact of abortion on the 2022 election and beyond. The partnership combined POS's polling data with Horizon's strategic analysis.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Public Policy Polling: A Democratic-leaning automated polling firm that has polled publicly on political races across all 50 states. Competes with POS on state and federal campaign polling, particularly for media-driven public polling releases.
• Hart Research Associates: The Democratic counterpart co-founded by Peter Hart. Hart Research is POS's bi-partisan partner on the NBC News Poll and CNBC All-America Economic Survey and the leading Democratic polling firm in the country, serving the same client types on the opposite side of the aisle.
• McLaughlin & Associates: Long-established Republican polling firm founded by John McLaughlin, serving political campaigns, corporations, and trade associations with survey research and strategic consulting — direct overlap with POS's core service lines.
• The Tarrance Group: A leading Republican polling and campaign research firm founded in 1994. Directly competes with POS for GOP campaigns, ballot initiatives, and corporate public affairs research with similar methodology and client overlap.
• Wilson Perkins Allen: Republican polling and research firm providing strategic polling and message development services to political candidates, party committees, and corporate clients — directly comparable to POS in scale, methodology, and client mix.
• Anzalone Liszt Grove Research: One of the largest Democratic polling firms in the country, serving campaigns, progressive organizations, and labor unions with survey research and strategic communications advice. Direct counterpart to POS on the Democratic side.

Broad incumbents

• Pew Research Center: A major nonpartisan research organization producing public opinion polling, demographic research, and policy studies. POS has worked with Pew (Economic Mobility Project, joint surveys), and the two are comparable on substantive policy research even though Pew does not serve campaigns.
• Gallup: The most recognized global polling and analytics firm, providing general public opinion, workplace, and well-being research. Overlaps with POS on political and public affairs measurement but operates at much greater scale with a broader portfolio.
• Ipsos Public Affairs: Global research firm's public affairs division conducting political polling, corporate reputation research, and policy studies. Competes with POS on corporate and public affairs engagements and syndicated political work but with global reach and broader service lines.

Emerging players

• Morning Consult: A high-growth data intelligence company conducting political, brand, and consumer research with proprietary technology-driven panels. Competes with POS in syndicated political polling and corporate brand tracking but differentiates through scale and technology rather than relationships.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/POStrategies
• Facebookfacebook.com/PublicOpinionStrategies

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Public Opinion Strategies