Philip E. Converse and Jean G. McDonnell Converse were pioneering scholars who helped shape the modern study of public opinion, survey research, and political behavior through their work at the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research. Philip gained prominence as a co-author of The American Voter (1960) and for his influential research on how citizens form political beliefs, including his finding that only a small share of voters hold fully developed ideological views. Jean made foundational contributions to survey methodology, advancing best practices in interviewing and questionnaire design and authoring the landmark history Survey Research in the United States: Roots and Emergence 1890–1960.
Together, their work bridged theory and method—Philip unearthing how people think about politics, and Jean refining how those views are measured. Through leadership, scholarship, and mentorship, they influenced generations of researchers and left a lasting imprint on the study of public opinion and the practice of survey research.
Read Full Bios at: https://ropercenter.cornell.edu/jean-and-philip-converse