Qcast: What Qualitative Researchers Can Learn from Political Focus Groups

DECEMBER 2023 QCAST

As we head into the 2024 U.S. presidential election, political research will be front and center, with qualitative research playing a key role in uncovering the “why” behind voters’ views on candidates and issues.  

In this Qcast, we’ll take a look under the hood of political focus groups with Rich Thau, moderator of the Swing Voter Project. We’ll see and hear from Rich about how he conducts and reports on his monthly focus groups with swing voters. He’ll discuss tips and learnings from his years of moderating these focus groups, including how he maintains his cool when discussing highly emotional topics.  

For qualitative researchers, the Swing Voter Project is a rare opportunity to watch a colleague conduct focus groups. Attendees will come away with a greater understanding of the process and learnings that can be applied to other types of research.  

Moderated by Rick Weitzer