Americans in Conversation

Overview 

Americans in Conversation is a mixed-methods online research platform leveraging More in Common’s unique methodologies to provide civil society partners with actionable insights into people’s attitudes, beliefs, and identities, enhancing efforts to engage Americans across a polarized landscape. 

Since 2019, More in Common has engaged diverse online communities of 100-300 Americans, representative of the US population, to share their views on social and political issues over several months. The qualitative data gathered through weekly activities—such as surveys, discussion groups, interviews, and video journaling—offers a deeper understanding of Americans’ underlying beliefs, complementing traditional quantitative research methods. Continuous engagement with participants allows us to ask questions, test ideas, and refine messaging in response to real-time events. 

Americans in Conversation has produced both strategic and tactical evidence-based communications and engagement guidance. This ranges from crafting narratives that resonate with Americans’ psychology and values to creating practical issue-specific messaging guides and toolkits. Insights from the platform have informed various partner groups, such as More in Common’s American Identity Communications Partner Table and the Democracy Communications Collaborative Partner Table, which unites over 90 representatives from organizations dedicated to strengthening democracy. Additionally, we have used the platform to test new content and refine communications strategies for individual partner organizations across fields.