Issue Expertise

Consumer Protection

We have extensive experience conducting research on local and statewide ballot initiatives and public education campaigns to curb predatory lending practices, advance tort reform, and protect consumer privacy.

Revenue Measures

We have helped more than 50 cities, K-12 school districts, college districts, and city and county agencies pass more than 60 bonds, parcel taxes, transient occupancy taxes, sales taxes, and other types of taxes and fees, raising billions of dollars for vital public services.

Electing Women & Minorities

Leveraging our unique understanding of how attitudes about race, gender, and sexual orientation impact voter perceptions, we have effectively helped women, people of color, and LGBT candidates win elected office across the country–in many cases, becoming the first gender, race, or sexual minority to serve in those positions.

Gun Safety

We have conducted qualitative and quanititative research designed to reframe the public debate about gun safety and reform, including on issues related to concealed carry permits and background checks.

Issue Expertise

Health Care

We have deep experience across the country conducting attitudinal and communications-related research on health care issues, including on transgender health care coverage, medical aid in dying, health disparities, health care reform, reducing smoking and consumption of sugar-loaded beverages, expanding awareness of Alzheimer’s, support for new mothers, insurance industry accountability, and increasing interest in health professions.

Transportation

Our transportation-related work has included annual customer satisfaction studies, research on tax increases to fund rail transit, research on Automated Highway Systems, and focus groups on creating innovative personalized mass transit.

Labor Unions

In many fights across the nation, our research has helped unions to win their battles, whether it is stopping Wal-Mart from opening a new store, defeating business efforts to gut the workers’ compensation system in Washington, increasing affordable housing, protecting undocumented workers and combating contractor abuse in construction trades, or helping to pass living wage ordinances.

Drug Policy

We have conducted as much or more voter research on marijuana issues as any other public opinion firm in the nation. Since 2002, we have conducted 28 projects on marijuana and drug policy reform, decriminalization, and medical marijuana across the country, and ballot measures in nearly a dozen states.

Issue Expertise

Racial Justice

We have experience researching attitudes related to race and issues impacting communities of color across the country. This includes building support for programs serving young men of color, anti-violence and criminal justice reform, and health care disparities.

Ballot Measures

GSSR partners have worked on at least 150 ballot measures at the state and local level in Maine, Oregon, California, Washington, Nevada, Arizona, Florida, Michigan, Ohio, and South Dakota, among others, on issues including environmental protection, land use, parks, LGBT equality, education, defendants’ rights, drug policy, health care, public financing and tax measures, flood control, libraries, election law, and more.

Government

We have conducted studies for multiple government agencies to assess effectiveness, satisfaction, and opportunities to expand services.

Philanthropy

We have special expertise researching donor and membership populations for foundations and non-profit advocacy organizations to understand how to better engage donors, increase giving, and attract new donor populations.

Issue Expertise

LGBT Equality

GSSR has perhaps more experience than any public opinion firm in the nation conducting research on a wide-range of pro-LGBT policies and attitudes about LGBT people, including advancing the freedom to marry, non-discrimination protections, inclusive schools, acceptance in faith communities, LGBT stigma reduction, transgender familiarity and acceptance, and more.

Environment

GSSR’s experience includes work on climate change, alternative energy technologies, reducing storm water pollution, encouraging energy and water conservation, recycling, and composting.

Education

GSSR has conducted research on a wide variety of education issues facing school districts today, including funding, school discipline, Common Core standards, vouchers, charter schools, year-round schools, overcrowding, modernization, anti-bullying and inclusive curriculum policies, and bilingual education.

Abortion

We have deep experience researching attitudes related to abortion, including developing storytelling and conversation campaigns, reducing stigma, talking about religious exemptions, and proactive and defensive ballot measure campaigns. This includes defeating so-called “Partial Birth Abortion” bans in both Maine and in Washington State.