AP GOVERNMENTMR. LIPMAN

CHAPTER 11

POLLING

• George Gallup – founder of modern polling

• Modern form of public opinion polling begins in the 1930s

• Straw polls- very unscientific because it asks people to send in their responses

• Rule: Do not allow respondents to select themselves as part of the poll {why the internet is not a good polling measure}

• Political Socialization: Parents are greatest factor early but then peer groups become more important

• First predictor of how someone will vote is party affiliation

• Second predictor of how someone will vote is religion

• Most Americans currently identify themselves as moderates

What are the ideological self-identifications of first-year college students?

Key Terms to Know for Polling

• Random Sampling

• Quota Sampling

• Stratified Sampling

• Push Polls

• Tracking Polls

• Exit Polls

• Filter Questions

What does a daily tracking poll look like?

Do men and women think differently about political issues?

What is the extent of Americans’ political knowledge?

To Learning Objectives

How successful has the Gallup Poll been?

Why does question wording matter?

References to polls in the news over time