The Opinion Makers: An Insider Exposes the Truth Behind the Polls (Hardcover)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: survey center, national primary electorate, most media polls, Washington Post, United States, New Hampshire (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this succinct and damning critique of the pitfalls of public opinion reporting, Moore (How to Steal an Election), former senior editor of the Gallup Poll, argues that today's polls report the whims rather than the will of the people due to an intrinsic methodological problem: poll results don't differentiate between those who express deeply held views and those who have hardly, if at all, thought about an issue. Thus, respondents are compelled to provide an ill-considered, top-of-mind response because the method does not offer the option of expressing no opinion. In Moore's view, forced-choice polls not only distort public opinion, they create a legitimacy spin cycle, which damages U.S. democracy by manufacturing a public consensus to serve those in power. Keen and witty throughout, his prose turns bitter as he condemns journalists, insisting they are fully aware of the polling flaws but turn a blind eye because they like sharply divided groups and extreme reactions. However correct his claim and justified his outrage, his proposed antidote—that the media ought to enlighten its audience to its own ignorance—feels more like a pipe dream than a practical prescription. (Sept.)
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Review

"You will never regard political polls the same after reading David W. Moore’s devastating inside account of their severe limitations and misapplications. This book should be required reading for journalists, political junkies, students, scholars, and citizens."
—Robert W. McChesney, author of The Political Economy of Media

"In this succinct and damning critique of the pitfalls of public opinion reporting, Moore, former senior editor of the Gallup Poll, argues that today’s polls report the whims rather than the will of the people. … Keen and witty throughout."
—Publishers Weekly

"The Opinion Makers is the most important book about the making of polls and public opinion that I have read. The account of how news stories drive polls should make us stop and ask whether the close relationship between the newsroom and polling operations is perhaps a bit too close. A must read."
—W. Lance Bennett, director, Center for Communication and Civic Engagement, University of Washington, Seattle

 

"A powerful argument that polls do not merely misinform us but pose a genuine, if subtle, threat to our democracy."
—Mark Crispin Miller

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 196 pages
• Publisher: Beacon Press; illustrated edition edition (August 12, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0807042323
• ISBN-13: 978-0807042328
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #552,660 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A shocking look at how pollsters measure public opinion, August 26, 2008

By	Erica A. Dorpalen - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

In his sharp-tongued and candid report of political polling methods, David Moore gives a stunning analysis of what poll results truly reflect--and it isn't the accurate measure of public opinion suggested by the neatly packaged pie charts and bar graphs we are so accustomed to seeing in the headline news of national television networks, newspapers, and news magazines. Moore places responsibility for the inaccuracy of public opinion polls on the shoulders of the media, whose strategic questioning methods fade away voter apathy and indecision--the "don't know" or "have no opinion" categories--to falsely create politically charged responses. Most frightening is Moore's argument that "public opinion" is made to reflect and justify the current policies of the politically powerful--an apparent contradiction to what polls claim to do, which is hold policy makers accountable for acknowledging popular will. Moore presents his sometimes scathing critique with an authority informed by his former position as the senior editor of the Gallup Poll. His humor adds allure to this fascinating look at the relationship between media conglomerates and the pollsters who serve them. This is an enlightening read for anyone who wants to stay informed--you will never look at polls with a cursory glance or anything less than a discerning eye again.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting Examination of How Pollsters get it So Wrong, August 30, 2008

By	Frederick S. Goethel "wildcatcreekbooks" (Central Valley, CA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

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For a number of years now I have wondered how polling organizations can get the numbers so spectacularly wrong and still stay in business. The New Hampshire primary is one example where none of the numbers seemed to line up with the actually results of the election.

The author, a former professor of political science and a former vice president of one of the nation's largest and most well known polling operations explains, in great detail, the problems with polling as it is done today. In addition, he explains why the media is so cozy with the polling groups and how this tends to cause massive distortion in the numbers. Finally, along the way, the history of "scientific" polling is discussed from it's formation to the current day.

The author writes in an easy to understand style that takes a fairly complex issue and digests it into material that any reader will be able to read. Far from dull, the author has a biting edge to his writing and is passionate about the subject. In addition, the author manages to keep the information neutral, so he isn't pointing fingers at any one political side; he manages to have enough on everyone to go around. This should be read by every person who plans to vote and follows the polls. You will never look at the information in the same way again.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Insight and Accessibility, September 23, 2008

By	Jeffrey L. Seglin "Seglin" (Boston, MA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Moore has written a terrific book about polling from an insider's perspective. His honesty and insight provide any reader with a window into how polling works and how they can be manipulated to questionable effect. The book is at once a scintillating and also a troubling look into the world of polls and is must-reading for anyone who wants to make sense of the role polls play in our lives from how we vote to how we live.