American National Election Studies (ANES) is an academic survey project that collects data on voting behavior, public opinion, and political participation in U.S. federal elections. The project has conducted surveys before and after presidential elections since 1948 and has expanded to include midterm election studies and pilot surveys. ANES data have been widely utilized in political science research. The project receives government funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and is managed collaboratively by the University of Michigan, Stanford University, Duke University, and the University of Texas at Austin. ^{1 2}

ANES surveys have been cited in studies examining partisan polarization, voter-turnout disparities, and the role of emotion in politics, often drawing on methodologies that highlight demographic and ideological divides. The project’s data has informed studies on opposition to restrictive voting laws, which some researchers link to racial and ethnic group dynamics. While ANES maintains a focus on empirical data collection, its leadership includes individuals whose research aligns with left-wing critiques of electoral systems and media effects. ^{3 4 5}

Background

American National Election Studies originated in 1948 at the University of Michigan’s Survey Research Center, initially as a study of voter characteristics and issue importance in that year’s presidential election. The initial survey provided data that contributed to the limited number of correct predictions  of then-President Harry Truman’s victory in the 1948 presidential election, which was incorrectly called by some news outlets on election night. Early surveys examined perceptions of political parties, candidates, and national issues, as well as voter expectations and participation. The project was formalized in 1977 with a long-term National Science Foundation grant, following ad hoc support in the early 1970s. In 2005, Stanford University joined as a partner. ^{1 6}

The project has tracked trends in public opinion from 1948 onward, including partisan identification and social issues. By the 1980s, ANES data was being used in analyses of economic evaluations, foreign policy, and gender influences on voting. The project has produced over 70 datasets and has been cited more than 9,800 times in academic literature. It influenced significant political science publications, such as The American Voter (1960), which examined models of voter decision-making. ⁷

The project is funded by the National Science Foundation, a federal government agency, and is primarily supported by NSF grants. The study is jointly operated by the University of Michigan, Stanford University, Duke University, and the University of Texas at Austin. ¹

ANES principal investigators and leadership have included political scientists who have published a variety of papers and books promoting left-of-center political science frameworks and views, including Nicholas Valentino and Shanto Iyengar. ^{4 5}

Funding

American National Election Studies is funded primarily through federal government grants from the National Science Foundation, a government agency. The NSF provided $14 million for the 2024 election study, allocated in fiscal years 2022 through 2025. ⁸

1. “American National Election Studies: Home – ANES.” Electionstudies.org. Accessed March 06, 2026. https://electionstudies.org/.
2. “The American National Election Studies (ANES) awarded $14 million to study 2024 elections.” Electionstudies.org. Accessed March 06, 2026. https://electionstudies.org/anes-2024-award.
3. “Insights Speaker Series covers group empathy and opposition to restrictive voting laws.” Isr.umich.edu. Accessed March 06, 2026. https://isr.umich.edu/news-events/news-releases/insights-speaker-series-covers-group-empathy-and-opposition-to-restrictive-voting-laws.
4. Iyengar, Shanto, and Sean J. Westwood. “Fear and Loathing across Party Lines: New Evidence on Group Polarization.” American Journal of Political Science 59, no. 3 (2015). Accessed March 06, 2026. https://scholar.google.com/citations?view_op=view_citation&hl=en&user=5d7KbbAAAAAJ&citation_for_view=5d7KbbAAAAAJ:Se3iqnhoufwC.
5. “Nicholas A. Valentino.” Scholar.google.com. Accessed March 06, 2026. https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=1ed6QpkAAAAJ&hl=en.
6. “American National Election Studies | Institute for Social Research – University of Michigan.” Isr.umich.edu. Accessed March 06, 2026. https://isr.umich.edu/research/projects/american-national-election-studies.
7. “ANES Bibliography 1980-1989.” Electionstudies.org. Accessed March 06, 2026. https://electionstudies.org/papers-documents/anes-bibliography/bibliography_1980-1989.
8. “NSF 21-601: 2024 American National Election Study Competition (ANES).” Nsf.gov. Accessed March 06, 2026. https://www.nsf.gov/funding/opportunities/anes-2024-american-national-election-study-competition/505933/nsf21-601/solicitation.