Assignment:
Purpose
In class, we discussed public opinion, including the evaluation of public opinion polls. As we discussed, critically evaluating and analyzing poll results is part of being a savvy and responsible media consumer. This optional extra credit assignment will give you the chance to practice the skills we discussed in class.
Task
1. Find an example of a relatively recent* public opinion poll related to politics (*within the last 2 years or so).
2. Evaluate the poll using the criteria we discussed in class.
- Who conducted the poll?
- Who is the poll about?
- How were the questions worded?
- When was the poll conducted?
- How were the interviews conducted?
3. Submit your responses (and a link to the poll you used) here as either a PDF or Word document.
NOTE: Your poll can come from any kind of news source, firm, or organization and can either be an example of good or bad polling, but you'll need to evaluate it as such (e.g. if it's a bad use of polling, explain what they did wrong and how it could be improved).
Criteria
This extra credit will be graded based on how complete and accurate your responses are. To receive full credit, aim for at least a few sentences per metric. Be sure to proofread before submitting to make sure your responses are relatively free of grammar, spelling, or syntax errors.