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America First Polling

AFP White Paper No. 2 · 2026

Engagement Protocol

Client Onboarding, Methodological Integrity & Research Partnership Standards

Abstract

This document sets out how America First Polling engages with clients: how engagements begin, what clients can and cannot influence, how conflicts are handled, and what both parties owe each other. It is published so that prospective clients, respondents, and the public can see the rules before any engagement begins.

1. Engagement Lifecycle

  • Inquiry — every engagement begins with a structured intake covering objective, universe, timeline, and decision at stake.
  • Scoping — we propose instrument design, sample plan, and deliverables. Clients approve scope; they do not draft questions.
  • Fielding — collection proceeds under the multi-mode standards described in our public methodology. Interim data is not released mid-field.
  • Delivery — findings are delivered with full crosstabs, methodology, and stated limitations. We report what the data shows, including unfavorable findings.
  • Debrief — every engagement closes with a documented review of what the research can and cannot support.

2. Methodological Integrity Commitments

The same standards apply to private client work and public releases. Specifically:

  • Question wording is drafted by our researchers and tested for balance. Clients may define objectives, never verbatim instruments.
  • Sample design and weighting follow the published methodology without client-directed exceptions.
  • Findings are never selectively reported to a client in a way that misrepresents the full dataset.
  • If a client publicly releases any portion of a private study, the full relevant toplines and methodology must accompany the release.

3. Conflicts and Firewalls

We do not accept engagements that would place us on both sides of the same contest in the same cycle. Client research and public polling operate under an internal firewall: public poll averages and published trackers are never adjusted in response to private client data or client interests.

4. Respondent Protection

Respondent trust is the raw material of survey research, and we treat it accordingly. All collection complies with TCPA and applicable state law. Respondent-level data is never sold, never shared with clients in identifiable form, and never used for any purpose beyond the research for which it was collected.

5. Mutual Obligations

Clients receive rigor, candor, and confidentiality. In return, we ask clients for honest objectives, realistic timelines, and acceptance of findings as they are. Research partnerships built on those terms produce decisions that survive contact with the electorate.