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The Impact of Polls on Public Opinion

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  • KURT LANG
  • GLADYS ENGEL LANG

Abstract

There are three ways in which polls can influence the public opinion they purport merely to measure. Just being interviewed tends to arouse interest and to encourage some respondents to inform themselves and to clarify their views on the subject. It may even increase electoral participation. Second, there is little evidence that knowledge of where the majority stands has anything like the much feared bandwagon effect. Although many people are aware of poll findings, they react to these in more diverse ways, including tactical voting, than the bandwagon hypothesis implies. These reactions may in turn produce a third effect. Feeling that there is little support for one's viewpoint can discourage and even intimidate the advocates of a minority viewpoint, keeping that issue from being raised. Here polls can either act as a corrective or put a damper on discussion, making the minority view appear even less popular than it actually is.

Suggested Citation

  • Kurt Lang & Gladys Engel Lang, 1984. "The Impact of Polls on Public Opinion," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 472(1), pages 129-142, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:anname:v:472:y:1984:i:1:p:129-142
    DOI: 10.1177/0002716284472001012
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    Cited by:

    1. Eldad Yechiam & Dana Zeif, 2024. "Calling “Gevald”: on the emergence of negative election forecasts in partisan communications," Experimental Economics, Springer;Economic Science Association, vol. 27(4), pages 787-819, September.

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