CHAPTER 8 SEC 2 Measuring Public Opinion

Government Leaders Make policy based on public opinion Winning party often claim to have a mandate – instructions from the constituency

Indicators of public opinion Election results Interest groups Media Personal contacts

Elections results Indicates public opinion

Interest groups Private groups that work to shape public policy Often present their views as public opinion

Media and public contacts Public official use these to gain some sense of public opinion

Public Opinion Polls Devices that collect information through questioning Straw votes – ask the same question to many people – not reliable because those who respond may not represent the total population

Scientific polling Breaks up the polling process into steps for accuracy First, choose the population the poll aims to measure Next, get a sample – a representative slice of the population

Samples Random – used by most pollsters in which members of the chosen population are equally likely to be picked Quota sample – less reliable in that it deliberately reflect several of the major characteristics of a given population

Finally, pollsters prepare valid questions, select and control the polling process, and report the results