Piast Institute To Study Polish American Electorate

Even the very process of making themselves at home in America has given them, says Dr Radzilowski, a view of American life that causes them to differ from other groups. Polish Americans, for example, have in recent decades shown far greater propensity to vote for third party candidates on the national level than the average American. Because national Polling organizations have ceased to study the voting patterns of ethnic groups such as Polish Americans we have lost a window on an important aspect of America’s diversity, he concluded.

The Piast Institute has begun in recent years to turn its attention to this important group which numbers over 10 million people and is concentrated in key states such as Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. It was recently commissioned by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland to conduct a study of the Polish-American electorate.

One of the aspects of the study is an online survey. It consists of 35 questions and is completely anonymous. It is absolutely crucial to the success of the study for Polonia to actively participate in that study and answer and promote the internet-based questionnaire. The survey can be accessed at www.piaststudy.blogspot.com. It can be answered after the election, and it will remain open until the end of November of 2008.

A study of that nature and magnitude has not been conducted among Polonia since the early 1980’s. Knowledge compiled by this study can be instrumental to the future of the Polish-American community.

For more information, please contact Virginia Skrzyniarz, Executive Director, at 313-664-0321 or by e-mail at director@piastinstitute.org.