1. Can polls be trusted? Why or why not?
Response Question
2/13/14
Can polls be trusted? Why or why not?

2. Voters and the power of Polling

3. Political Socialization
The learning process by which people acquire their political beliefs and values
Agents of Socialization
Family
School and Peers
Media
Age
Region
Religion
Ethnicity
Gender

5. Public Opinion and Polling
What the public thinks about a particular issue or set of issues at any point in time
Public opinion polls
Interviews or surveys with samples of citizens that are used to estimate the feelings and beliefs of the entire population
George Gallup created the Gallup Poll

7. Types of Political Polls
Push poll - Polls taken for the purpose of providing information on an opponent that would lead respondents to vote against that candidate
Tracking Polls- Continuous surveys that enable a campaign to chart its daily rise or fall in support
Exit Polls- Polls conducted at selected polling places on Election Day

9. Shortcomings of Polling
Sample size
To an extent, the lower your sample size the less accurate the results.
Limited Respondent Options
Polls are not given randomly.
Bias
Issues with wording of questions. Poll creator aiming for specific results.

10. 1.Why might some people mistrust Polls?
Gallup Reading Q’s
1.Why might some people mistrust Polls?
2. What is equal probability of selection?
3. How has the way in which Gallup Polls people changed over time?
4. Why is 1000 people an ideal number of individuals for a national survey? Do you believe this?

11. Gun Control Smoking Abortion
Many people have said that there is a need for stricter laws on dangerous weapons. Do you agree?
Yes or No?
Many people feel there is little need to create stricter gun laws on guns.
Do you agree?
Smoking
Due to the proven deadly effects of cigarettes should smoking be ban in public places?
Yes or No?
Should people's right to smoke be taken away in public places?
Yes or no?
Abortion
Is abortion okay to save a mother's life?
Yes or No?
Is killing a child through the use of abortion okay?

12. Why do you think someone might want a poll to be intentionally biased?
What is an examples?
I’m trying to pass a proposition in Claifornia to ban Gay marriage and I’d like polling data to back up my view that Gay marriage is bad. How might a skew the data towards my goal?

13. Biased Question 1. Leading Questions: Loaded Questions:
You don't want to lead your respondents to answering questions a certain way based on the wording or structure of them.
We have recently created great new facebook features! What do you think?
What are your thoughts on the new facebook features?
Loaded Questions:
Loaded questions work through emotionally charged items like words, stereotypes, etc. This too can push respondents towards a specific answer choice.
Since terrorists are muslim, should muslims be searched before getting on planes?
Should there be increased security for muslim passengers on planes?

14. One as unbiased as possible
Activity
For the following topics you and your partner shall write three questions.
One Biased towards pro
One Biased towards Con
One as unbiased as possible
Mandatory uniforms in school
Death Penalty
Violent Video Games
Ending the war in Afganistan

15. 2. What is a double barreled Question?
Response Question
2/19/14
1. What are some ways small changes to question wording can effect survey results?
2. What is a double barreled Question?
3. What is social desirability bias and what is one example of it?
4. Overall, why is survey question wording so important?

16. This will not be easy and there will be parameters.
Today we will be dividing into three groups and producing surveys to be given to classes on Thursday.
Ultimately each group will be competing in trying to sway voters with their bias/loaded/leading questions. the group that wins the class will receive extra credit and I will then compare winners scores in each class to get the winner of all 4 periods.
This will not be easy and there will be parameters.

17. Cigarettes in Public places
You will create three surveys, on two you will create eight questions and one you will create 4. How many questions do you have to write? 20
Topics
Cigarettes in Public places
Same-Sex Marriage
Immigration
Gun control

18. You will produce three different surveys.
First
Second
Third
Neutral/Control
You are simply asking the question to see what people would without bias.
Pro
You are working to get as many people as possible to be for the topic.
Con
You are working to get as many people as possible to be against the topic.
The competition will lie in who can get the greatest difference between their pro and con results.

19. No double negative Questions
“Do you agree or disagree that teens should not be fined for not obeying the local outdoor smoking ordinance?”
No double Barreled Questions
"How satisfied are you with your pay and job conditions?”
At least one of the two questions for each topic must include the term (ex. Same-sex marriage)

20. To ensure fairness, after your group turns in their questions the other two groups will have time to examine their opponents questions and see if any do not meet the criteria.
Words of advice
If you go too extreme on a particular question it might create the opposite effect you intended. Be careful.
Consider subtlety and consider your audience when making these questions. Every little word can make a difference.

21. Cigarettes ban in Public places Pro = no cigarettes in public places
Pro = Same sex couples should be able to marry
Same-Sex Marriage
Pro = current immigration laws should be changed
Immigration reform
pro = more laws to restrict gun ownership
Gun control
No double barreled
No double negatives
Must include the term in at least one question
Question order is up to you...

22. You must choose someone that is extremely trustworthy and reliable to type up your questions in a WORD DOCUMENT and them to me by tomorrow.

23. Please Sit in your group areas today from Tuesday.
Three groups of two will go out and administer one poll to the designated classrooms.
Pollers, say “Hi my name is so and so and we ask that you complete a quick poll for us”. Pass out the polls. Read the introduction of included. When completed pick them up and come back to class.

24. Those of you that are staying behind. You will be polling stations.
We will need 6 people per group to be counters.
You will be counting other groups totals. We will then pass them off and another group will count to verify.

25. 1. there will be 3 groups of two counters.
Polling directions
1. there will be 3 groups of two counters.
2. Each twosome will receive one poll to tally.
3. 1 person will write the other person will read
4. Put the group number at the top of the page.
5. When completed bring tally sheet and ALL polls to me.
6. Please include Percentages for each question on your tally sheet
(“yes or agrees”/ total polls)

26. 1. Is wording important in poll results? Explain why or why not.
Response Section
2/24/14
Think back to the polls we took last week and let’s begin to analyze them.
1. Is wording important in poll results? Explain why or why not.
2. Were our results completely accurate? What things might account for them being off?
3. Why might polling be an effective way to understand voters AND to sway voter opinions?

27. 5. Explain how our Pro and Con results compare to our control group.
4. What stands out for you or conclusions can you draw from looking back at our results?
5. Explain how our Pro and Con results compare to our control group.

29. 6. What are some similarities or techniques used in the effective examples?
7. What are some similarities or techniques used in the ineffective examples?

30. Why might the order of these two pairs be particularly effective?
Do you believe people should be allowed to marry who they love, regardless of gender?
Do you agree with the growing acceptance of same sex marriage?
After 26 people were massacred in the Sandy Hook shooting, mainly children, do you think there should be more laws to limit guns?
For the safety of our children should we have stricter laws on gun control?