There is a split decision on public policy polling. Although some people believe it can be considered as a powerful asset to American democracy because of the general views that it may convey, I strongly believe public opinion polling during an election has a negative effect on American political life because of the fragile, ambiguous, and inconsistent nature of polling.
Public opinion is difficult to measure and oftentimes attempts to measure it result in inconsistency and lack of validity. A large portion of the public is ambivalent towards certain political subject matters and it is this lack of preference within communities that presents a major problem in measuring public opinion. Therefore, it is necessary for political activists to intervene and provide the fill-ins on certain subjects that they are interested in and certain policies that they are supporting. For example, although Hillary won the popular vote in the 2016 elections, Trump won 30 states with a total of 306 electors, about 57% of the available electors, and thus was able to win the presidency. This discrepancy between public opinion and political authorities is concerning and brings into question the validity of public opinion.
Furthermore, methodological concerns also arise in that certain surveys are more exact and detailed than others. Cheaper and quick surveys are made by marketers and campaigners in order to gather information speedily. These survey makers readily know the limitations and the consequences of these quick surveys. Response rates are declining and professionals are finding it ever more difficult to be certain about the quality of certain data that is produced. Thus, conclusions oftentimes cannot be made or are completely invalid.
Polling questions seldom capture views well. Human beings are extremely complicated creatures and thus it is difficult to capture their opinions. Some groups are biased towards polling, while others are vehemently against it. Either way of looking at this problematic situation, the final verdict is that both groups would find ways of looking at data and results to distort reality.
Although the founders of the constitution can be deemed admirable in their efforts, the nation’s constitutional foundation has its limitations. The first amendment provides freedom of speech and expression and this is clearly exemplified in public opinion polling. However, due to all of the aforementioned factors, which contribute to the inconsistency, invalidity, and general mercurial nature of human opinion, it is difficult to determine whether or not public opinion would be directly beneficial to the future of the nation.
To conclude, although there are great benefits that polling provides in order to satisfy the masses who are for public opinion representation, the fragility and ambiguity of public opinion make utilizing polls very concerning and should oftentimes be dismissed as a predominant guide to forming public policy decisions.