Chapter 10
From March 22 to March 26, 2010, four separate organizations conducted national polls measuring approval of President Barack Obama’s job performance. Gallup placed Obama’s approval rating at 51 percent; the Rasmussen Poll found that 48 percent approved of Obama’s performance; the Quinnipiac Poll said 45 percent approved; and the Washington Post found that it was 53 percent. What might account for the differences between these four polls’ findings? Is it sampling error? The wording of the question used to measure presidential job approval? The way the different pollsters went about selecting a sample? The way the questions were administered to respondents?
Use the links below to find out how these organizations conduct their polls and how they measure presidential approval. What are the differences in the methodology of these various pollsters, and how might those differences contribute to different findings?
The links are: