Methodology
A comprehensive overview of how the Civic Language Perceptions Survey was designed, conducted, and analyzed.
Survey Design
The Civic Language Perceptions Survey employed a comprehensive approach to capture public perceptions of key terms related to democracy, civic engagement, and equity. Participants were asked to rate their familiarity and perceptions of 21 key civic and political terms.
2025 Survey Methods
More in Common US sampled 5,393 registered voters, including an oversample of 695 respondents from Arizona, from November 18th to 26th, 2025 on behalf of Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement (PACE).
- Sample Size: 5,393 registered voters
- Arizona Oversample: 695 respondents
- Field Dates: November 18-26, 2025
- Margin of Error: ±1.3%
- Conducted by: More in Common US
- Commissioned by: Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement (PACE)
Weighting
Results are weighted on:
- Age by gender (interlocked)
- Race/Ethnicity
- Education
- 2024 vote
- US region
Measures
Three primary measures were collected for each term in the 2025 survey:
- Positivity: How positively or negatively the term is perceived (Positive, Neutral, Negative, Not Familiar)
- Ownership: Whether the term feels "meant for me" or "meant for someone else" (5-point scale)
- Togetherness: Whether the term brings people together or drives them apart (5-point scale from "Brings together a lot" to "Drives apart a lot")
Demographic Variables
Comprehensive demographic data was collected including:
- Political ideology (Very liberal to Very conservative)
- Age group
- Education level
- Race/Ethnicity
- Gender
- Geographic region
- Urban/Rural status
- Religion
- Generation
Research Team
More in Common US: Fred Duong, Paul Oshinski, Amy McIsaac, Trystan Loustau, Emily Gerdin
Published: December 2, 2025
Limitations
As with any survey research, there are limitations to consider:
- Self-reported data may be subject to social desirability bias
- Cross-sectional design limits causal inference
- Some demographic subgroups have smaller sample sizes