Polls & the Political Process

Wirthlin discusses both the negative and positive effects that polls may have upon elections and campaigns. He argues that, overall, polls are not meant to create a band wagon effect or even to predict elections. Rather, they are meant to enable the candidate to develop seven or eight issues for his campaign. Polls, he argues, are meant to be tools by which the candidate can gain insight on how the public feels about issues. Wirthlin also argues that polling remains “a science of being almost certain.” He goes on to discuss why errors occur in polling. close