StrategyOne offers our proprietary research panel, the Beltway Barometer, as part of our suite of Beltway Communications Research Products.
About the Beltway Barometer
This unique research product, maintained by StrategyOne, targets the most politically elite, influential, and engaged citizens living in Washington, DC and the immediate suburbs. It is built from revers e-directoried congressional staff lists, lobbyist registration lists, high dollar political donor files, and household wealth modeling in the wealthiest and most politically active Washington zip codes.
The Beltway Barometer allows our clients to:

- Gauge Washington opinion leader perceptions
of an industry, company, product, brand, organization or campaign. - Benchmark decision-maker targeted communications campaigns.
- Track the success of a decision-maker communications campaign.
- Construct an effective communications campaign
utilizing evidence-based themes and messaging.
Respondents from our Beltway Barometer panel are screened for engagement in the following activities:
- Live in the Washington area zip codes with the highest concentration of large dollar political contributors and congressional staff.
- Currently work or have worked in Congress, an Administration, the Judicial branch, A Federal Agency, The Pentagon, trade association, PAC, political consulting, Lobbying Firm, media, or multi-lateral NGO.
- Hold at least a 4-year college degree.
- Are heavy consumers of opinion elite media, such as National Journal, Roll Call, and The Hill.
- These respondents are well involved in the Washington social scene:
| Do you have a close friend who… | Democrats | Republicans |
|---|---|---|
| Works at the Department of Defense | 38% | 48% |
| Works at a think tank | 36% | 37% |
| Is a journalist | 36% | 29% |
| Works in Congress | 32% | 41% |
| Is a registered lobbyist | 31% | 38% |
| Works at an Embassy | 16% | 14% |
| Which, if any, of the following have you attended in the past two years? | Democrats | Republicans |
|---|---|---|
| A performance at the Kennedy Center | 67% | 56% |
| A political fundraising event | 55% | 37% |
| The Cherry Blossom Festival | 39% | 35% |
| A think tank briefing | 35% | 35% |
| A presidential inauguration | 30% | 11% |
| An embassy event | 27% | 30% |
Standard surveys field to 200 Republicans and 200 Democrats, to ensure political balance. By targeting these select opinion leaders, we can monitor elite policymaker sentiment within the Beltway.
Beltway Barometer Benchmark and Tracking Surveys
- Quantitatively benchmark attitudes and opinions among Washington D.C. Beltway Opinion Elites before a communications campaign launch.
- Track the success of a communications campaign.
- Measure the overall effectiveness of a communications campaign.
- Determine campaign messaging that needs adjustment.
- Gain valuable insights to structure future campaigns.
StrategyOne Public Opinion Report:
"Washington Public Affairs Campaigns; Beltway Elites on the Ingredients for Success and Failure"
An overview of the report is available at Pollster.com.
