The Sample
The AIC Poll is a stratified survey. Starting in 2018, it has consisted of both a general population sample and separate samples (what we call "oversamples") of three racial groups: African Americans, Asian Americans, and Latino Americans. The 2018 AIC Poll sample consisted of 3,000 general population sample respondents, 800 respondents in the African American oversample, 800 respondents in the Asian American oversample, and 800 respondents in the Latino American oversample.
The main round of 2021 interviews were conducted online from July 30 to August 19. The sampling process included attempts to recontact and reinterview all of the 5,400 respondents from the 2018 poll. This produced 2,379 successful reinterviews, a recontact rate of 43.9%. During these weeks, these panel respondents were also augmented with fresh respondents. All of these fresh respondents were part of the racial group oversamples, because these oversamples were smaller than the general population sample and the panel attrition rate was higher among them. There were 400 new African American respondents, 400 new Latino American respondents and 400 new Asian American respondents added to the racial group oversamples from the existing panel.
Finally, there was a second round of 2021 interviews, in which we added 500 additional general population respondents, who were interviewed online from September 28 to October 11, 2021. The purpose of this was to allow researchers to compare responses from those interviewed earlier in the summer with those interviewed after the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and the accompanying decline in President Biden's approval rating.
Altogether, 4,070 respondents were interviewed in 2021. These include 2,370 who were previously interviewed in 2018, and 1,700 new respondents.
Summary of the 2021 AIC Poll Interviews (interview dates):
The main round of 2021 interviews were conducted online from July 30 to August 19. The sampling process included attempts to recontact and reinterview all of the 5,400 respondents from the 2018 poll. This produced 2,379 successful reinterviews, a recontact rate of 43.9%. During these weeks, these panel respondents were also augmented with fresh respondents. All of these fresh respondents were part of the racial group oversamples, because these oversamples were smaller than the general population sample and the panel attrition rate was higher among them. There were 400 new African American respondents, 400 new Latino American respondents and 400 new Asian American respondents added to the racial group oversamples from the existing panel.
Finally, there was a second round of 2021 interviews, in which we added 500 additional general population respondents, who were interviewed online from September 28 to October 11, 2021. The purpose of this was to allow researchers to compare responses from those interviewed earlier in the summer with those interviewed after the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and the accompanying decline in President Biden's approval rating.
Altogether, 4,070 respondents were interviewed in 2021. These include 2,370 who were previously interviewed in 2018, and 1,700 new respondents.
Summary of the 2021 AIC Poll Interviews (interview dates):
- 2,370 successful reinterviews of panel respondents, produced by attempting to re-interview all of the 2018 respondents. Of the 5,400 respondents from 2018, there was a 43.9% recontact rate. (July 30 to Aug 19)
- 400 interviews of new respondents in the African American oversample (July 30 to Aug 19).
- 400 interviews of new respondents in the Latino American oversample (July 30 to Aug 19)
- 400 interviews of new respondents in the Asian American oversample (July 30 to Aug 19)
- 500 interviews of new respondents representative of the general U.S. population (Sept 28 to Oct 11)