FYS 057 Politics and Polling

We will study the history and the science of polling. Polling became popular in the early 20th century, with spectacular successes in marketing and politics. But low response rates present significant challenges for pollsters in the 21st century. Questions we will consider include: How are polls conducted? Do polls measure public opinion or do they influence public opinion? Are some groups of people "more important" to survey? We will learn to study the science, the history and the future of polling in advance of the 2016 presidential election.