Chapter 11: Abernathy/Waples, American Government: Stories of a Nation, Presidential Election Update 1E

focus group

a small group of individuals assembled for a conversation about specific issues.

scientific poll

a representative poll of randomly selected respondents with a statistically significant sample size using neutral language.

sample

a group of individuals from a larger population used to measure public opinion.

random selection

a method of choosing all poll respondents in a way that does not over or underrepresent any group of the population.

representative sample

a sample that reflects the demographics of the population.

weighting

a procedure in which the survey is adjusted according to the demographics of the larger population.

sampling error

the margin of error in a poll, which usually is calculated to plus or minus three percentage points.

mass survey

a survey designed to measure the opinions of the popula tion, usually consisting of more than 1,500 responses.

entrance survey

a poll conducted of people coming to an event.

exit poll

a survey conducted outside a polling place in which individuals are asked who or what they just voted for and why.

benchmark poll

a survey taken at the beginning of a political campaign to gauge support for a candidate and determine which issues are important to voters.

tracking poll

a survey determining the level of support for a candidate or an issue throughout a campaign.

random digit dialing

the use of telephone numbers randomly genera ted by a computer to select potential survey respondents.

question order

the sequencing of questions in public opinion polls.

question wording

the phrasing of a question in a public opinion poll.