When Gallup says Americans believe, does that any bearing on what American do?

[Kelley1]

The only institution with a lower level of public trust is Congress, but the public continues to elect them. Americans may say they don't trust the media, but they continue to read and watch it, and that is what they believe.

[Surely]

Not really. Polls can easily be skewed. Depending on the area of the country polled. .
When the polls say that so many percent of Americans lean this or that way. How many people do you know that have been asked for a particular poll?
I personally, never have been asked!

[Kelley1]

There are 300 million Americans, so the majority will never be asked; not should they be. Provided, it is random, a poll doesn't require more than 1,000 people. Even a random sample of 100 can be reasonably accurate.

[Surely]

So you can ask 100 city dwellers about the plights of farmers. You can ask 100 farmers about the life of deep oil well drilling. You can also ask 100 college students about deep coal mining. Or ask 100 truck drivers about railroaders issues.
You mean that that is good polling?
I will say BS on that!

[Surely]

Thank you for the MHO!

[Dargil]

Polls are merely a sampling of opinion and that sample can be biased. Poles are a hint of what people might believe, but not necessarily what most people really believe. For example, nobody gave Donald Trump a hope of winning the election in 2012 but whoops he won it anyway.

[Gwendoline]

I don't think anyone trusts polls, statistics, studies and research because too often they made to back up political ideologies or the opinion of a corporation. Like a kind of propaganda to try to influence what people think by telling them what they think.

[RedInnocent69]

Not in the least. Then again, Americans aren’t that bright…

[princeofromance]

No, because America is a free country who does what they want.