2. Homework: Public Opinion Quiz Monday FrontPage: OL on your desk. Why do some say that public opinion polling is like “tasting a stew”? http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/presidential-approval-tracker.htm

3. Chapter 18, Section 4

4.  Why is it important for elected officials to know the opinions of the public?  How can we find out the “public’s opinion”?

5.  What are the pros and cons of the following “traditional” methods of gauging public opinion? Political parties Interest groups Media Letter writing Straw polls

6.  The most reliable (but still not 100%) method of determining the opinion of the public Done randomly, using enough people, it can be very effective and useful measure of public opinion

7.  The Purpose – Why is the poll being given? Who can use the information? How and why? What is the purpose of this poll?

8.  The Sample – Who will be asked? The group of people to be studied is called the universe. Pollsters must try to get a representative sample (small group of people typical of the universe) Use random sampling (technique in which everyone has an equal chance of being selected) to ensure that the sample is representative

9.  The Questions Questions should be clearly stated, and avoiding slang terms or words that a person might not understand They should leave little or no room for interpretation Wording (and order of words) can make all the difference

10. Question #1: Some people feel the government should see to it that all people have housing, while others feel each person should provide his or her own housing. How do you feel about this issue?

11. Question #2: Some people feel each person should provide his or her own housing, while others feel that the government should see to it that all people have housing. How do you feel about this issue?

12.  The Answers – Margin of error (“sampling error”)  The Monetary Act of 2001

13. Upsides Most effective means of gauging the opinions of the public, when conducted properly Downsides The Margin of Error – 3% good, 5-6% unreliable The Monetary Act of 2001