Polling and the Public: What Every Citizen Should Know [Paperback]

Herbert B. Asher (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1568028334 | ISBN-13: 978-1568028330 | Publication Date: February 2004 | Edition: 6th

As you and your students know, public opinion polls are pervasive. And given that interest groups, political parties, candidates, and office holders almost habitually use polls to convince--and sometimes even manipulate--citizens to support their views, their influence over discourse and decision-making should not be underestimated. In an effort to create more informed consumers of public opinion polls, this slim book explains why the wording and ordering of survey questions matter, what determines a representative sample, and how polling methods affect responses. Covering the fundamentals briefly and briskly, Asher also examines how the media report polls, the use of polls in election campaigns, and tricky art of interpreting polls both effectively and responsibly.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Herbert Asher is professor emeritus of political science at Ohio State University. He has written numerous articles and books on legislative politics, electoral politics, and political methodology, including American Labor Unions in the Electoral Arena, with Eric S. Heberlig, Randall B. Ripley, and Karen Snyder (2001); Presidential Elections and American Politics, Fifth Edition (1992); Theory-Building and Data Analysis in the Social Sciences, coedited with Herbert F. Weisberg, John H. Kessel, and W. Phillips Shively (1984); and Causal Modeling, revised edition (1983).

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 215 pages
• Publisher: Cq Pr; 6th edition (February 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1568028334
• ISBN-13: 978-1568028330
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #748,134 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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