How come when we see poll's that are taken they never say who took the poll or who answered it?

[sage2021]

I think that makes all the difference when it comes to trusting poll figures. Sould we disregard all poll's because it's really misinformation until someone comes forward with where they got their information to make their percentages. Agree? How do you know the truth?

[nightdrot]

Not sure where you got that from. CNN, IPSOS, Fox News, Quinnipiac, ABC/Washington Post. Those are but a few of the polls and polling services.

Beyond that, these days you can click on the poll of your choice. They will give you sample size, margin of error, the dates over which the poll was taken and other stats of that kind. These are not state secrets.

Plus, you can go to REALCLEAR POLITICS. com (https://www.realclearpolitics.com/ ) and they provide a list of all the polls, plus an average of all the polls combined. Thus you get the statistical average and a listing of each poll with its' vital stats.

You need to look more carefully and also understand the strengths and weaknesses of polling. Things like sample size, the timeframe of when the poll was taken and so forth have an impact on the poll's accuracy. In general. the larger the sample size and the more that sample parallels the demographics of the region it is polling, the more accurate it will be. Even then, there will be a margin of error. That also typically being noted on the poll.

Polling has, to be sure, become more difficult. Once upon a time there was a phone in the kitchen and the person answering it did not know who was calling until they did answer it. Now people have cell phones and they often will not answer the phone if they don't recognize the number - or in some cases they will refuse to answer any questions.

That means it is harder to get the right demographic sample and it takes longer to do so. However, pollsters factor this in and note it in the posted margin of error.

Those who work in politics - like myself - realize that the best way to read polls is to take the average of them and measure them over time. Any given poll will have some value, but the best way to read polls is to read the average of them as they trend over time.

Bottom line, as with any tool, the user has to know how to use it. Opinion polling is complex - and, to be fair, some polls are better than others. Suffice to say, that is hard for this generation, which typically wants quick and easy answers to grasp. That, however, is a problem for the user, not a problem with polls.

[sage2021]

@nightdrot thank you so much for explaining this in such great lengths for me. 🙂 However, It sounds confusing 🤔
Sage🌹

[nightdrot]

Hope it helped - at least a little. As far as its complexity,. when you consider what polling is in effect attempting to quantify, it is bound to be complex.

However, with time you can grasp the general concept and learn both the things polling can do and its' limits.

[OlderAndWiser]

Most polls are taken by people who want to use the poll results for political purposes and most of them have some inherent biases. If they were accurate, the 2016 polls would not have all predicted a landslide win for Hillary!

I think those polls were trying to convince voters so that the Trump voters would get dscouraged and stay home on election day.

[OlderAndWiser]

Thanks for MHO!

[Telekinetic-Potato]

Many times you see polls, they don't make it clear where they got the polling data from. Some entities use the same technique every time and some research will get you the information you need. But some are a little sketchy or don't use techniques that hold up under a higher level of scrutiny

[Summeroflove]

This is true. Many times we don’t know how a poll was conducted as well as the demographic they surveyed.

Sometimes they can be sneaky and find ways to try and get the results they want.

Who the hell knows if some polls are fabricated.

[Lliam]

It's true, Sage. I take most polls and "new studies" with a grain of salt unless they are unbiased and their methods are fully documented.
Many researchers set out with a certain outcome in mind and publish results that fit the desired narrative. It's important to know the ideology of the researcher and where they get their funding.

[exitseven]

Most polls are biased. They have an agenda and question a segment of the population that will answer the way they want. You need to look at who conducted the poll and that will tell you the whole story. Who do you think a NY Times/ABC News poll is going to favor?

[Surely]

The only thing that people should listen to. Is the final count on Election Day! Hopefully that will be honest!
Polls can be skewed by the demographics that they use. Also if the polls say that someone is way out front. People will figure that there is no reason for them to vote.
Then their candidate looses!

[Sixgunsound]

You can’t possibly know for certain the identities of everyone who does an online poll. That just isn’t going to happen. Certainly not to the standards of academic peer review.

[Debbie14217]

wow you are right... they should... hhhmmm... misleading?

[Havthrills]

I actually agree. I answer with what I chose and I'll put more info if needed.