How can I take place in a Gallup poll?

Question

I found their website

http://www.galluppoll.com/

but this just shows the results of the pols. How can I actually take place in the poll? I hear about them coming out every day, and the ofter disagree with my feelings, and I would like to add my input.

Or am I completely missing the point? Are they run in magazines or something?

Answer 1

You're missing the point. Polls are taken based on random samples of people contacted via telephone. Every phone number has an equal chance of being called.
I never look at just one poll. There are several out there and I like to look at trends among all of them. I also want to see exactly how the question was asked. Go to www.pollingreport.com for more information.

Answer 2

You can't just "take part" in polls of the type Gallup does. The reason is that their polls are conducted according to rigorous scientific standards. That's why they are as reliable and accurate as they are.

In order to make them that reliable, the pollsters select their sample by a "random-choice" process (there are several techniques for doing this). That's essential to doing a really scientific and reliable poll (for technical reasons you can learn about ina statistics course)--but it means people can't just volunteer to take the poll.

Here's (in non-technical terms) why Gallup and others do polls this way--at least when they want scientifically valid results). Suppose you and others could volunteer to take the poll online. That would be fine--except that that would mean the "sample" would consist of people who are most young-middle aged, computer-literaete, and with at least enough resources to have a computer. There would thus be few elderly people--and also too few minority people in the sample. So you'd get a skewed set of answers--and thus a distorted picture of what the whole population is thinking.

You might get selected at some point for one of the Gallup polls--or another that is also done according to scientific standards. In the meantime, there's lots of polls out there you can volunteer for--and they are valuable as a way of speaking out. And pollsters and social scientists do use them--but they have limits on reliability that the Gallup-type polls are designed to deal with.

Answer 3

They pick and choose who they poll so that they get the answers they want. They also make sure that they ask the questions with the right wording and in the right order. It really makes all the difference in the world.

For example, when they were trying to get Clinton's approval ratings up after the Lewinsky scandal, they first asked questions about Clinton's character and the scandal. Then, when they asked, "How do you think he's doing in his job?" people had already gotten their personal dislike off of their chest, so they were more likely to answer positively - especially since most people don't even know what the President's job really is.

.

Answer 4

I have be called by Quinnipaic so they use either voter registration lists or blind calling. What you are proposing to do, that is offer your input, is exactly what they don't want to happen, having their poll weighted in one direction or another. Suppose you and a thousand of your nearest and dearest call and offer your input. That would skew the results, and while you might like the results better, it wouldn't reflect with any accuracy what is really going on. They themselves give a plus or minus of a few points so if you can't be happy with that, then you are in a minority and that is your right.

Answer 5

I went Ask Jeeves and typed in how to interact on Gallup poll.

Answer 6

First you'll have to move to Gallup, New Mexico.

Answer 7

Well judging by your name they don't want a NON liberal opinion.

Sorry, I think you are DQ

Answer 8

They call you. You don't call them.