Polling and the Public: What Every Citizen Should Know

by Herbert Asher

Overview

Despite their pervasiveness in American life, with subjects ranging from how citizens will vote in presidential elections to opinions about American Idol contestants, considerable misunderstanding exists about the conduct and interpretation of polls. Politicians, interest groups, political parties, advertisers, media outlets, and academics alike point to what the public has expressed through any number of public opinion polls to bolster their positions and arguments. Given the ever-increasing prevalence and frequent misinterpretation of polls, students need to become better consumers of poll results.

This updated seventh edition builds on a proven framework, closely examining structural aspects of polls, methodological procedures, and the function of polls in electoral politics. New material examines a number of methodological areas including possible meanings of the “don't know” or middle response, more detailed coverage of sampling and response rates, consideration of nonattitudes, and greater discussion of reliability, validity and index construction. End-of-chapter exercises further the book’s goal of educating individuals to become savvy to the use and misuse of polls.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780872893405
Publisher:	SAGE Publications
Publication date:	02/06/2007
Edition description:	Seventh Edition
Pages:	218
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Dr. Herb Asher is professor emeritus of political science at The Ohio State University and counselor to the university president. He previously served as special assistant to the university president for government relations and founding director of the John Glenn Institute for Public Service and Public Policy. He is frequently called upon as an expert political analyst by local and national media.
Dr. Asher earned his degrees at Bucknell University (B.S. Mathematics) and the University of Michigan (M.A. & PH.D. in political science).

Dr. Asher serves as faculty adviser to several student organizations, including the Undergraduate Student Government, the College Democrats, and two fraternities. He also serves on the Executive Committee and Board of Trustees of Hillel and formerly served as faculty adviser to the College Republicans.

Dr. Asher is a former member and chair of the Ohio Ethics Commission and a member of the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of Community Research Partners, a former member of the Board of Trustees of the Columbus Metropolitan Club, and former president of the Ohio State University Faculty Club.

Table of Contents

	Preface	vii
1	Polling and the Public	1
	The Importance of Polls	2
	The Pervasiveness of Polls	3
	Commissioned Polls	5
	The Citizen as a Consumer of Polls	14
	Citizens' Views of Polls	15
	Polling and Democracy	20
2	The Problem of Nonattitudes	25
	An Example of Nonattitudes	27
	The Use of Screening Questions	28
	Nonattitudes and the Middle Position in Survey Questions	35
	Response Instability and Nonattitudes	38
	Conclusion	42
3	Wording and Context of Questions	44
	Question Wording	46
	Question Order and Context	56
	Conclusion	61
4	Sampling Techniques	62
	Sampling Designs	63
	Sample Size	70
	Total versus Actual Sample Size	75
	Response Rates	76
	Weighting the Sample	78
	Conclusion	81
5	Interviewing and Data Collection Procedures	82
	Methods of Collecting Polling Information	83
	Interviewer Effects in Public Opinion Polling	87
	Internet Polling	92
	Conclusion	94
6	The Media and the Polls	95
	Standards for Reporting Results	96
	Substantive Interpretation of Polls	103
	Media, Polls, and the News Reporting Emphasis	109
	Conclusion	113
7	Polls and Elections	116
	Sponsors of Election Polls	116
	Types of Election Polls	117
	Uses of Polls by Candidates	132
	Polls in the Presidential Selection Process	134
	When and Why Election Predictions Are Wrong	139
	How Preelection Polls Affect Voters	147
	Conclusion	149
8	Analyzing and Interpreting Polls	150
	Choosing Items to Analyze	151
	Examining Trends with Polling Data	163
	Examining Subsets of Respondents	165
	Interpreting Poll Results	173
	When Polls Conflict: A Concluding Example	176
9	Polling and Democracy	179
	How to Evaluate Polls: A Summary	180
	Polls and Their Effect on the Political System	183
	Conclusion	190
	References	191
	Web Sites	206
	Index	207

Editorial Reviews

Although information from public opinion polls is ubiquitous<-- >wielded by political candidates, the media, and all kinds of organizations hoping to prove a point<-->polling is poorly understood by most people. Asher (emeritus, political science, Ohio State U.) explains how surveys are constructed, conducted, and interpreted. He covers polling in campaign politics and media coverage and discusses issues such how a survey's questions influence the very attitudes they purport to measure. It's intended for students of political science, public opinion, communications, and journalism as well as for reporters, editors, and campaign managers; also useful for general readers who want to better understand the numbers in the news. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Booknews

Polling the Public brings a wonderful sense of humor that would incite my students to talk about it during their next class period. It is very straightforward in manner, not reliant on jargon, and accessible to undergraduates and grad students who haven’t had many classes in public opinion. This book’s straightforward approach is useful to instructors by providing a thorough introduction to the complexities and nuances of the field.

Justin Wedeking

Polling the Public is enjoyable to read and quite accessible. Students don’t need to have a course in statistics to understand the material, which makes it particularly useful for those with varied academic backgrounds. Polling the Public is perfect for students who are interested in learning about all aspects of polling, from sampling to the interpretation of results. They will also benefit from the book's excellent discussions of the critical benefits and drawbacks of polling as a way of measuring public opinion. The book is well written and uses current and attention-grabbing examples.

Jennifer Bachner

"Polling and the Public is essential reading for any course on public opinion or survey research methods. My students have found Asher's lively writing style to be an engaging introduction to complex ideas, from survey sampling to the nature and measurement of attitudes. And just as important for the study of politics, Asher introduces students to broader theories about the place of polling within democratic governing institutions. Asher covers the art and science of polling, while providing students with a foundation of knowledge to understand current controversies in public opinion research."

H. Whitt Kilburn

Asher’s Polling and the Public has been a mainstay in public opinion courses for the last two decades. This is not an accident. It is unrivaled as an introductory guide to the foundations of measuring and understanding public opinion. This latest edition does not disappoint. Students will continue to get Asher’s straightforward and clear approach that includes all the new developments in polling and public opinion.

Jason Gainous

I’ve used Polling and the Public for several years in my courses. The book is pitched perfectly for the undergraduate reader: the concepts are clearly explained, the examples are memorable, and the comics engage students’ interest. As a political science professor, I also appreciate the way in which Asher addresses how polling fits into bigger questions about democracy.

Travis N. Ridout