For the 2017 survey of Policymakers, we surveyed individuals who worked in the executive branch of the U.S. Government during the administrations of Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, or Barack Obama. We used the Federal Yellow Book to identify individuals employed in one of several dozen offices or agencies with responsibility for creating and/or implementing U.S. trade, national security, or development policy at the level of “assistant/deputy director” or above.
We mailed or emailed a recruitment letter, signed by a prominent former U.S. Government official (Robert Gates in security and Robert Zoellick
for development and trade) to all individuals for which we could secure contact information. In all, this strategy yielded responses from 625 individuals. The survey was in the field November 20, 2017 to January 24, 2018.
The survey report can be found
here.
How to cite 2017 Policymaker Survey data
Paul C Avey, Michael C Desch, Eric Parajon, Susan Peterson, Ryan Powers, Michael J Tierney, Does Social Science Inform Foreign Policy? Evidence from a Survey of US National Security, Trade, and Development Officials, International Studies Quarterly, Volume 66, Issue 1, March 2022, sqab057, https://doi.org/10.1093/isq/sqab057
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Policymaker Surveys
TRIP has fielded three surveys of senior government officials. The first survey was fielded in 2011, the second in late 2017 and early 2018, and the third in 2022. You can read more about our selection criteria here.
Policymaker Survey Reports
Policymaker Survey 2022
The 2022 Policymaker Survey survey was sent to 3,579 individuals employed in one of several dozen offices or agencies with responsibility for creating and/or implementing US trade, national security of policy development during the administrations of George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump. Officials at the level of “assistant/deputy director” (or equivalent) and above were included. These individuals were identified using the Federal Yellow Book.
Of the individuals contacted, 291 responded to at least one question. The resulting response rate is approximately 8.13 percent. The survey was open from November 2, 2022 to January 17, 2023.
The survey report can be found
here.
How to cite 2022 Policymaker Survey data
Avey, Paul C., Irene Entringer Garcia Blanes, Shauna N. Gillooly, Susan Peterson, Ryan Powers, Andrew Shaver, and Michael J. Tierney. 2023. 2022 Policymaker Survey. Teaching, Research, and International Policy Project, Williamsburg, VA: Global Research Institute. Available at https://trip.wm.edu/research/policymaker-surveys/report/Policymaker_Report_2022.pdf.
Paul C Avey, Michael C Desch, Eric Parajon, Susan Peterson, Ryan Powers, Michael J Tierney, Does Social Science Inform Foreign Policy? Evidence from a Survey of US National Security, Trade, and Development Officials, International Studies Quarterly, Volume 66, Issue 1, March 2022, sqab057, https://doi.org/10.1093/isq/sqab057
Policymaker Survey 2017
Policymaker Survey 2011
The 2011 Policymaker Survey focused on senior government officials involved in national security decision-making. The survey pool was limited to officials who served during the George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush administrations. The pool included both civilian and military officials at or above the civilian GS/GG 13/Band 4 grade and the equivalent O-5 military grade (Lt. Colonel / Commander).
Of the 915 officials we tried to contact, 234 responded to and completed the survey, either through the mail or online. Our reported response rate of approximately 25%.
The survey report can be found
here.
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