When candidates refuse to take the Political Courage Test, Vote Smart uses their public record, including public statements, voting record, and special interest group ratings and endorsements to provide information on their positions. Candidates can change answers at any time they like. When a candidate’s public record lacks clarity on that issue, Vote Smart will not infer an answer.

The Political Courage Test is a collaborative effort between Vote Smart and over 200 political scientists, journalists, and leaders from across the political spectrum. The issues included on the Test are the top concerns of the American people and are likely to come up in the next legislative session. They are determined by a rigorous examination of national and local polls, the majority, minority and third party platforms, State of the Union and Response speeches, State of the State and Response speeches, and legislative agendas. Every effort is made to ensure that the test is as unbiased as possible.