The Voter's Guide to Election Polls

Through a Q&A format designed to grab readers’ attention, this thoroughly revised Sixth Edition gives voters everything they need to know about election polls. Traugott and Lavrakas cover the latest polling technologies and data collection methods, how polls are used in campaigns and by the media, and most importantly—why it all matters. Everything you need to know about election polls can be found in this compact, conversational, and current volume. When it comes to tapping the public’s opinion on candidates and issues at the ballot box, the stakes are high. Acclaimed scholars Michael W. Traugott and Paul J. Lavrakas—who also have regularly conducted polls, not just studied them—cover the latest technologies used for data collection and data analysis, including internet polls, as well as how polls are used in campaigns and media organizations. In straightforward language and an accessible question-and-answer format, the authors cover issues such as: How do political candidates and organizations use poll data? How do news organizations collect and report polls? Why do pollsters use samples? Can internet polls really reflect a representative swath of the population? They also examine common problems and complaints about polls, such as the increasing use of “push polls” and whether polls can impact how citizens vote. Their decades of experience and insight not only answer the nuts and bolts questions, but most importantly, why it all matters in American democracy.