The Lessons We'll Learn From the Mid-Terms
The campaign to make sense of the mid-term elections will begin almost the moment the polls close on Tuesday, and it will have a substantial effect on 2020.
Polling
Viewfinder: Elections in Peru
A Peruvian soldier stands guard at a polling station during municipal elections in Lima, Peru, on October 7th, 2018.
Viewfinder: Polling Stations for General Elections in Sierra Leone
A man casts his ballot for the general elections, on March 7th, 2018, at a polling station in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
The 30 Top Thinkers Under 30: The Survey Leader for Barack Obama’s Campaign Still Helping Progressive Politicians
We canvassed the world of the social and behavioral sciences, looking for rising stars whose careers promise to make a lasting mark. We'll be profiling the top 30 throughout the month of April.
How Does Language Impact Public Opinion Polls?
Our answers to survey questions have more to do with the wording than our actual ideologies.
Stop Writing About Polls Comparing Obama to Frank Underwood
The results are misleading, and tell us more about our own insecurities than they do Obama's popularity.
The Strengths and Weaknesses of Interviews in Political Coverage
Actually talking to voters can be invaluable. It can also lead you to believe things that are completely wrong.
Freaking Out About Outliers: When the Polls Are Way, Way Off
The idea of such a small number of people being used to predict how millions will vote sometimes irks observers, but it's actually a very reliable process—most of the time.
Where Do Latinos Stand on Major Political Issues?
New research finds the political opinions expressed by Latinos in America can be quite different depending on whether they are polled in English or Spanish.
Can the United States Government Ever Be Trusted?
For the first time ever, the American National Election Study has allowed respondents in its annual survey of trust in government to answer "never." Here's how that simple addition changed results.
Nate Silver, PPP and the Use and Abuse of Polling in American Politics
Last week's fight over PPP's decision to hold back the results of a poll highlight how too many pollsters operating in the political sphere take an Ivory Tower attitude, disavowing responsibility for the consequences of their work.
We All Want More of Everything—Except Taxes
How are politicians supposed to take cues from their constituents when polls don't account for economic realities?
Gay Marriage: A Country Is Moving, Its People Not So Much
Comparing a multi-year study of attitudes with other surveys suggests that America's growing acceptance of gay marriage does not necessarily mean that individual feelings have shifted.
Why Are You So Smart, Stan Greenberg?
Noah Davis talks to the democratic pollster and political strategist about the over-reliance on numbers, understanding new places, and being really intelligent.
Sample This: Making Sense of Surveys
There are a lot of shoddy polls out there. Some are frank about their shortcomings and some aren't. Here are some ideas for getting an accurate picture of what a poll can tell you.
Questioning Questions in Evaluating Polls
How you ask, what you ask and when you ask can all affect what you get in conducting polls.
Climate Accepters Down But Still Big Majority
The mass of Americans still accept reality of climate change, but a glut of complex polls manages to make that difficult to discern.
Obama Approval Rating Most Polarized Ever at This Point
Obama administration gains another first — most divided debut year since polling began.
Big Margins Sidetrack Election Reform
Five ways to safeguard voting rights and how close Senate races could save the election reform movement.