Presidential campaigns offer the nation a welcome opportunity to learn about itself, and to illuminate and (sometimes) settle all sorts of issues, from busing to pot to unemployment policy. This election year, with its long calendar of primaries and crowded field of candidates, presents a special challenge to voters—and to journalists. To help chart public attitudes on the candidates and the issues, TIME will augment its own coverage with public opinion polling surveys.
Our partner in this enterprise, continuing an association begun in 1972, is Yankelovich, Skelly and White, Inc., the New York-based research firm. It will conduct six surveys for us,...