Essay Sample on 2016 Polls Misused: Republicans Proved Their Worth

Introduction

The author felt that polls were misused in the 2016 presidential elections because they did not predict the actual results of the elections. According to Enten, (01), the polls focused on the past trends of voting where the Democrats had won numerous elections simultaneously, thus, underestimating the Republicans by predicting their failure. Paradoxically, the Republicans proved their worth by winning the elections. The author stated that reports of a decidedly pro-Clinton opinion poll in North Carolina and Florida were everywhere in the run-up to Election Day. These reports came when Trump's polls in both states were increasing. Eventually, Trump won in both North Carolina and Florida by more than 150,000 votes (Enten, 01). This result was a sign that Democrats mistakenly predicted that their candidates would do well once all the votes are counted.

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I agree with the author about the power and effectiveness of polling in the 2016 election. He outlines that polling becomes effective if done correctly. It is true that most polls ask participants if they have participated in the early elections, and mark them as early voters if they have taken part. Polls also have the advantage of asking everyone their preferred candidate. This approach is necessary because individuals who vote early are a self-selected group who may have different political opinions compared to those who vote on the day of the election. Simply put, the significance of polling, according to Enten (01), is its ability to predict the best-preferred candidate for the voters, thus, indicating a candidate who stands a better chance of winning the election. Despite the predictive nature of the polls, it underestimates other candidates or parties who may surprise the public during and after the election.

In today's era, the growth of technology and the internet has influenced polling in many ways. In this age of online and social media polling, I believe that polling has gotten more effective because it records the idea of many voters. The internet and social media have allowed voters to share their opinions about a particular candidate or party freely. The participants also get to know the populist message of the candidate that can help him or her outperform other interested parties. In other words, social media gives the participants freedom of participation, and by doing so, the opinions of many voters may be collected. This participation increases the chances of the accuracy of the opinion polls about the popular votes.

Therefore, I believe that polling is appropriate for use in the political system because it tells how the public thinks and feels about election. This method can be useful in helping different populations understand each other because it allows the people to speak for themselves rather than letting only the vocal media starts to talk on behalf of everyone. It implies that polling enables people who cannot access the mainstream media to be heard. Most importantly, reliable polls can help citizens to make informed decisions ahead of elections instead of reacting chaotically to the unforeseen events.

Reference

Enten, H. (2016, November 14). FiveThirtyEight. Retrieved from https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/demographics-arent-destiny-and-four-other-things-this-election-taught-me/