Data for Progress
| Company type | Nonprofit think tank |
|---|---|
| Industry | Political advocacy, polling, public policy |
| Founded | 2018 |
| Founder | Sean McElwee, Colin McAuliffe, Jon Green |
| Headquarters | United States |
Key people | Julian Brave NoiseCat (vice president of policy & strategy) |
| Products | Polling, progressive policy analysis, advocacy |
Data for Progress (DFP) is a United States-based left-wing think tank, polling organization, and political advocacy entity. Established in 2018 by data scientist and activist Sean McElwee—who led the group until his dismissal in November 2022—DFP specializes in progressive policy analysis and advocacy efforts.
Closely associated with the progressive movement, Data for Progress has played a pivotal role in conducting polls and releasing reports on significant initiatives such as the Green New Deal. After Joe Biden's victory, the organization emerged as a prominent voice within the Democratic Party's progressive faction.
History and mission
Founded in 2018 by political activist Sean McElwee, computational scientist Colin McAuliffe, and political scientist Jon Green, Data for Progress quickly gained attention for delivering one of the earliest analyses of the Green New Deal.
McElwee aimed to create DFP as a comprehensive resource for left-leaning policy development, integrating polling data with media outreach to promote progressive objectives. However, some critics on the American Left have argued that the organization has not been sufficiently critical of established party leadership.
Nevertheless, Data for Progress expanded its influence rapidly; by 2021, it was frequently referenced by President Biden, engaged in consultations with the White House, and collaborated with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on legislative matters. In that same year, vice president of policy & strategy Julian Brave NoiseCat earned a spot on Time magazine's Time 100 Next list highlighting emerging global leaders.
Polling
Data for Progress regularly conducts polls during election cycles, especially focusing on primary elections. For example, in the 2020 contest for New York's 16th congressional district, it was uniquely positioned as the only public pollster to show challenger Jamaal Bowman ahead of incumbent Eliot Engel.[1] In 2021, their surveys indicated that a majority of Democratic voters in Arizona supported a primary challenge to Senator Kyrsten Sinema, largely due to her opposition to certain Biden administration policies.[2]
During the 2020 presidential election, Data for Progress’s polling on public reactions to the debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden was highlighted by the Washington Post.[3] Afterward, The New York Times recognized Data for Progress’s polling accuracy despite its exclusive use of nonprobability sampling techniques, which remain somewhat controversial within industry circles.[4]
In 2020, Data for Progress underestimated Republican voter support,[5] while their projections during the 2022 midterm elections overestimated it.[5] The Tartan reported that Sean McElwee engaged in betting on electoral outcomes through PredictIt, raising ethical questions.[6] McElwee exited his leadership role in November 2022 following accusations of wagering on elections and manipulating polls to influence contests he had bet on.[7] Additionally, reports surfaced alleging McElwee proposed an unlawful straw donor scheme involving staff members. Senior personnel threatened mass resignation if he did not step down as executive director.[7]
Activities
Data for Progress carries out polling on significant policy initiatives, such as eliminating the filibuster and broadening voting rights. Their focus also includes environmental agendas like the Green New Deal and sustainable housing, as well as healthcare reforms like Medicare for All. Other areas of emphasis are pharmaceutical drug cost regulation, limiting credit card interest rates, and shifting resources from the defense budget toward domestic programs.
Federal personnel
After the 2020 presidential election, Data for Progress championed progressive appointments within the Biden administration. Julian Brave NoiseCat, vice president of policy & strategy, was instrumental in advocating for Deb Haaland to be named Secretary of the Interior.
State legislative elections
In 2019, New York Times featured Data for Progress’s "Party Builder" ranking, created in collaboration with Future Now Fund. This ranking measured support from candidates in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary for state legislative contests to promote increased investment. That same year, Data for Progress partnered with Crooked Media to launch the "Fuck Gerry(mandering)" initiative, designed to support Democrats campaigning for seats in the Virginia General Assembly.
Blog
The blog maintained by Data for Progress includes posts from prominent political leaders, such as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.
- ↑ "Rep. Eliot Engel Goes on Defensive Against Jamaal Bowman". www.ny1.com. Retrieved 2020-09-17.
- ↑ Greenwood, Max (2021-07-20). "Poll: Two-thirds of AZ Democratic voters back primary challenge to Sinema over filibuster". TheHill. Retrieved 2021-08-25.
- ↑ Byler, David (October 27, 2020). "The verdict is in: Joe Biden won the final presidential debate". The Washington Post.
- ↑ Russonello, Giovanni (2021-05-06). "Polling's Prognosis: Wary Conservatives and Eager Liberals". The New York Times. Retrieved 2021-08-22.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs named2022Polls - ↑ Rogers, Kaleigh (2023-02-23). "How The Cool Kid Of Progressive Politics Gambled It All Away". FiveThirtyEight. Retrieved 2023-03-01.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Freedlander, David (21 December 2022). "The Fall of the Progressive Boy King". Intelligencer. Retrieved 21 December 2022.