Organizations such as Gallup, Institute for Social Research (University of Michigan), and Ball State University have been conducting monthly or annual surveys for years. These databases have become treasures of longitudinal data used by researchers throughout the country. These projects will serve as the template for the Mike Downs Center for Indiana Politics to establish an annual survey that will include a core set of questions about politics that is asked every year. There will be a second portion of the survey that is devoted to topical issues. The survey will be conducted before November of each year.

The results will be made available to scholars, journalists and the public via the website and on the campus of IPFW. With each year the survey is completed, the value of the database will grow.