Polling and the Public
What Every Citizen Should Know

Ninth Edition

Herb Asher

Other Titles in:
Media & Public Opinion

September 2016 | 360 pages | CQ Press

Polling and the Public helps readers become savvy consumers of public opinion polls, offering solid grounding on how the media cover them, their use in campaigns and elections, and their interpretation. This trusted, brief guide by Herb Asher also provides a non-technical explanation of the methodology of polling so that students become informed participants in political discourse. Fully updated with new data and scholarship, the Ninth Edition examines recent elections and the use and misuse of polls in campaigns, and delivers new coverage of web-based and smartphone polling.

Preface

Chapter 1: Polling and the Public

The Importance of Polls

The Pervasiveness of Polls

Commissioned Polls

FRUGging, SUGging, and Pseudopolls

The Citizen as a Consumer of Polls

Citizens' Views of Polls

Polling and Democracy

Exercises

Chapter 2: The Problem of Nonattitudes

An Example of Nonattitudes

The Use of Screening Questions

Nonattitudes and the Middle Position in Survey Questions

Response Instability and Nonattitudes

Implications for Democracy and Public Policy

Conclusion

Exercises

Chapter 3: Wording and Context of Questions

Question Wording

Question Order and Context

Order, Context, and Visual Effects in Self-Administered Surveys

An Extended Example

Conclusion

Exercises

Chapter 4: Sampling Techniques

Nonprobability Sampling

Sampling Designs

Sample Size and Sampling Error

Total Versus Actual Sample Size

Response Rates

Weighting the Sample

Two Extended Examples

Conclusion

Exercises

Chapter 5: Interviewing and Data Collection Procedures

Methods of Collecting Polling Information

Interviewer Effects in Public Opinion Polling

Internet Polling

Conclusion

Exercises

Chapter 6: The Media and the Polls

Standards for Reporting Results

Substantive Interpretation of Polls

Media, Polls, and the News Reporting Emphasis

Conclusion

Exercises

Chapter 7: Polls and Elections

Sponsors of Election Polls

Types of Election Polls

Uses of Polls by Candidates

Polls in the Presidential Selection Process

When and Why Election Predictions Are Wrong

How Preelection Polls Affect Voters

Conclusion

Exercises

Chapter 8: Analyzing and Interpreting Polls

Choosing Items to Analyze

Examining Trends with Polling Data

Examining Subsets of Respondents

Interpreting Poll Results

When Polls Conflict and When Polls Surprise: Some Final Thoughts

Exercises

Chapter 9: Polling and Democracy

How to Evaluate Polls: A Summary

Polls and Their Effect on the Political System

Conclusion

Exercise

Websites

References

Index

“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, Ph.D.

University of Louisville

“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

Washington State University

“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

John Hopkins University

"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

Grand Valley State University

“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

University of Kentucky