Political market research

This chapter explores the multiple facets of political market research and goes beyond opinion polls. It suggests that it involves a wide range of qualitative and quantitative, and formal and informal, methods enabling candidates, parties and governments to understand the nature of the political marketplace. An area of disparagement associated with the practice of political market research (PMR) centres around innovation associated with data-mining and voter profiling. The chapter shows that evolution of PMR lead to changes in the skills required for those who want to pursue a career in the field. It considers the implications of the rise of data analytics on PMR. The chapter also explores how a number of changes in the political market have altered the way that voters respond to and judge political parties and candidates, so that voters are more demanding and questioning, and their behaviour is less predictable. Additionally, citizens appear to behave in a more consumerist manner.