The Monmouth University Polling Institute is located on the Monmouth University

Monmouth University

Monmouth University is a private university located in West Long Branch, New Jersey, United States.Founded in 1933 as Monmouth Junior College, it became Monmouth College in 1956, and later Monmouth University in 1995 after receiving its charter....

 campus in West Long Branch, New Jersey

West Long Branch, New Jersey

West Long Branch is a borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 8,097. It is the home of Monmouth University....

. The Polling Institute was established in 2005 to be a leading center for the study of public opinion on important state, regional, and national issues.

Background

Founded in 2005, the Polling Institute conducts and disseminates public opinion research as a way to foster greater public accountability by including the voice of the public in the policy discourse.

The Poll's major focus is its home state of New Jersey

New Jersey

New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...

. However, the Polling Institute also conducts policy research and election polls throughout the mid-Atlantic region, including New York

New York

New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

, Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...

, Delaware

Delaware

Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...

, Maryland

Maryland

Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...

, and Virginia

Virginia

The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...

.

The Polling Institute’s activities include research services for government agencies and private organizations that assist with policy planning and assessment. The institute also collaborates with faculty and students to enhance research and training opportunities in survey research.

The Polling Institute’s research capabilities include: large and small-scale survey projects; telephone, mail, and in-person interview designs; quantitative data analysis; and qualitative research techniques such as focus group facilitation and analysis.

Activities

• Provide contract research services to policymakers in government and private organizations.
• Collaborate with faculty and students to enhance research and training opportunities.
• Monitor public opinion on current issues.

Recognition

In its inaugural year, the institute was named a “Winner” by New Jersey Politifax for the accuracy of its polling in the 2005 New Jersey gubernatorial election.

In 2009, the institute's gubernatorial polling received national attention, including findings that indicated the eventual winner Chris Christie's weight was an issue for voters in the campaign.

In 2010, the institute's director Patrick Murray was named "Pollster of the Year" by PolitickerNJ

Politicker Network

The Politicker Network, or Politicker.com was a national network of fifty state-based political websites operated by The New York Observer.-Origins:...

 and one of the 100 most influential people in New Jersey politics.

In the weeks preceding the November 2010 election, the institute conducted polls in five states on 10 different Congressional races and was found to be the nation's second most accurate pollster in the 2010 mid-term election by Steve Singiser of The Daily Kos. Singiser’s analysis also found that Monmouth’s polls had the least amount of partisan bias among 15 pollsters active throughout the fall campaign.

Polling Institute Director, Patrick Murray, is an occasional contributor to the Huffington Post's Pollster page.