Chapter 4.6 Flashcards
How can you determine the quality and credibility of claims based on public opinion data?
How Political Parties Use Polls
They often only report who’s winning. Typically sorted solely by popularity.
Bandwagon Effect
Shift of support to whoever is in the lead.
Influence of Policy Debate
Polls influence policy. Less clear effects on elections. The legislative branch tends to be responsive, not so much the executive branch. Judicial branch is effected by vibes.
Bully Pulpit
President pitches ideas to the people.
Reliability and Veracity of Public Opinion Data
Candidate error is the difference between the prediction and the reality. The can be off by a lot and undecided voters have impacts.
Social Desirability Bias
Tendency for respondents to say what they think people want to hear.
Bradley Effect
Saying something in a poll to not seem biased, but voting differently.
Non-Response Bias
People are being too shy to respond in the polls.
Undecides Breaking Late
Lots of people make their decisions late.
Opinions in Social Media
People aren’t willing to answer polls. Different groups are on different social medias.
Biased Polls
Lots of polls are funded by political parties. Hard to check how reliable a poll is.
