Critical Essay on Polling and the Public by Herb Asher

Introduction

The book, Polling and the Public by Herb Asher explores the use of polls as a tool of understanding and quantifying public opinion. Public opinion is a significant driver of policy in a democratic style of leadership. The view that the citizens have over their nation's development plan guides the elections, and consequently the leaders who are elected to office. However, most people lack information on the importance and design of the polls. Polls create massive influence on citizens, yet most people lack knowledge of their significance, design, and interpretation. The book profoundly explores the subject of opinion polls revealing exciting insights to readers.

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The book creates insight into the importance of opinion polls. Polls reveal the beliefs in people, their feelings on a policy or subject and their proposed way forward or action plan regarding the matter in question (Asher, 2016). The importance of polls has been acknowledged even in sectors that are far from politics. For instance, I have witnessed companies conducting opinion polls regarding products that they intend to introduce or relating to changes to existing products. Opinions polls are in most cases conducted on volunteers meaning that only the data collection costs are incurred. However, the discussion leads to the question of polls validity. Are all polls valid and usable? What control metrics are put in place to ensure the authenticity of the opinions collected in a survey?

Polls are a great driver of policy. The book explores the contribution of polls to a democratic rule. Citizens often give their views regarding their leaders and the progress shown in various projects. However, the question of nonattitudes remains as the major impediment to creating polls that represent the majority opinion. Nonattitudes are particularly common among the youths who have in the past rejoiced in the misconception that they have no say in political governance (Asher, 2016). How can poll companies curb the problem of nonattitudes in their surveys? According to a study by Erikson & Tedin (2015), nonattitudes can be reduced by creating public awareness of the importance and reason behind a poll campaign. Most people refrain from offering their opinions and thoughts under the impression that it is not going to change policy since they make up a negligible percentage of the overall public.

The authenticity of a poll is determined by the sampling technique, the wording and context depth of the questions, the data analysis and interpretation techniques (Asher, 2016). Poll questions should be straightforward. They should start with common ideas and progressively delve deeper into a subject to allow classification of respondents. The questions should be in line with human rights and freedom of opinion and acknowledge the constitutional provision of choosing not to answer. The book holds that for polls to be usable, the selected sample should be heterogeneous to account for cultural differences that are of particularly great interest in the contemporary world. A good sampling area would be a metropolitan where people from many parts of a country live.

Conclusion

The book introduces a reader to the nuances of the public opinion field of study. Issues such as data analysis methods are rarely discussed in the public domain. However, the analysis methods used define the interpretation gained upon critical evaluation. Public polling is a vital sector in policy formulation and political development.

References

Asher, H. (2016). Polling and the public: What every citizen should know. Cq Press.

Erikson, R. S., & Tedin, K. L. (2015). American public opinion: Its origins, content, and impact. Routledge.