ABOUT US
OUR MISSION
While every local community is distinct, many of the challenges they face are common. And yet, there is a serious lack of data and research available comparing the experiences of local government leaders across the United States. Our mission is to enhance local government through shared data, research, and benchmarks.
OUR WORK
Our Work
We generate data-driven insights about local government through a range of research initiatives. Our largest initiative is our recurring national survey of local government leaders. Our surveys consistently sample a diverse representation of leaders from all 50 states and from small towns to large cities. CivicPulse also produces research reports and benchmarks on critical issues facing local governments, and works diligently to deliver these insights back to local governments and their communities.
Explore our research.
Interested in adding your own content to our surveys or customizing your own? Please visit Survey Services for more information.
OUR VALUES
Belief in the importance of local government for a healthy civil society
Adherence to the highest standards of rigor in our research and analysis
Commitment to independence and nonpartisanship as an information provider
OUR STORY
Our Story
CivicPulse was founded in 2018 by Stanford PhD students. While pursuing our research interests in local government, we discovered that the United States lacked a reliable national data source on the backgrounds, beliefs, and experiences of the more than 200,000 local government leaders who enact and implement the policies that shape our day-to-day lives.
In starting CivicPulse, we aspired to build a collaborative platform for generating shared insights for both researchers like ourselves and the broader civic community. Since then, our committed team has completed surveys, released data, and reported on a wide array of issues facing local governments across the United States.
By ensuring our practices are respectful toward the local government officials who generously participate in our surveys—and that the findings provide them insights in their own work—we are proud that over 80 percent of first-time survey participants agree to join our ongoing survey panel. These leaders represent our communities, big and small, from all over the United States and we greatly value their insights.