Polling and the Public: What Every Citizen Should Know

As you and your students know, public opinion polls are pervasive. And given that interest groups, political parties, candidates, and office holders almost habitually use polls to convince--and sometimes even manipulate--citizens to support their views, their influence over discourse and decision-making should not be underestimated. In an effort to create more informed consumers of public opinion polls, this slim book explains why the wording and ordering of survey questions matter, what determines a representative sample, and how polling methods affect responses. Covering the fundamentals briefly and briskly, Asher also examines how the media report polls, the use of polls in election campaigns, and tricky art of interpreting polls both effectively and responsibly.