Founded in 1946, the Surveys of Consumers (SCA) promotes the importance of consumer spending and saving decisions in determining the course of the national economy. Each month, the survey interviews a minimum of 800 people to collect samples representative of all American households. SCA is proven to be an accurate indicator of the national economy’s future course.

The Survey Methodology Program (SMP) was established within SRC in 1992 with the explicit aim of creating a multidisciplinary team to focus on research methodology.  Thus, the SMP draws upon a range of disciplines including social psychology, cognitive psychology, sociology, statistics, and computer science.