GreenInfo Network

Search

True Views: Mapping Public Opinion

View State Opinion Data
The map allows users to select geographies and questions to see how opinion varies.
Launch Event at Harvard
To announce the new tool, Harvard and the Bloomberg Center on the Cities hosted an in-person panel event.
Client:   Harvard Election Law Clinic

See This Project   |   All Projects for Client

TrueViews is an innovative data visualization platform that illuminates American political perspectives through precise public opinion mapping. By providing granular insights across geographic regions, the platform helps bridge the gap between elected officials and their constituents, offering unprecedented transparency into policy preferences at local, state, and national levels.

Developed in collaboration with leading researchers from Harvard Law School, Harvard Kennedy School, and George Washington University, TrueViews transforms complex polling data into actionable insights. The platform synthesizes responses from over one million Americans across 18 national surveys (2009-2023), presenting them through an intuitive, interactive map interface.

Users can explore public sentiment across 32 distinct policy domains, including:
  • Criminal justice reform
  • Gun control legislation
  • Healthcare policy
  • Environmental regulations
  • Economic initiatives
The platform addresses a critical challenge in American democracy: the frequent misalignment between legislative decisions and constituent preferences. As Professor Nicholas Stephanopoulos, project co-creator, notes, TrueViews reveals nuanced patterns in public opinion that challenge conventional narratives about political polarization. This insight enables:
  • More informed policy-making
  • Evidence-based advocacy
  • Enhanced democratic representation
  • Better-targeted constituent engagement
Technical Implementation:
Our engineering team deployed a sophisticated technical architecture optimized for performance and scalability:

  • Data Processing: Custom Python pipelines transform raw survey data and Census TIGER geometries into efficient vector tiles
  • Storage & Delivery: Amazon S3 storage with CloudFront CDN ensures robust, low-latency access worldwide
  • Vector Tiles: PMTiles format enables near-instantaneous rendering of complex geographic data
  • Automation: Streamlined deployment and updates through integrated Bash/Python scripting

Results: While the platform's creators emphasize careful interpretation of local-level data, TrueViews represents a significant advancement in evidence-based governance. The tool equips legislators, advocacy groups, and citizens with reliable data to inform policy discussions and legislative initiatives.

Services:  Interactive Solutions, Applications Development, Web Mapping, Website Design, Design Research 

Project Years: 2024

jobs email
GreenInfo Network creates, analyzes, visualizes and communicates information in the public interest. We specialize in mapping and related technology for nonprofits and public agencies, focusing on using it for conservation, social equity, public health, environment and foundation grant making.
2201 Broadway, Suite M5
Oakland
CA
94612
United States of America