It would be extremely difficult and expensive if all of the thousands of respondents answered with essays, and "opinion" polls with only one possible answer exist only in places like North Korea. Asking respondents to put themselves into one of a small handful of groups for each question allows survey takers to get valuable data from a survey that is easy to process quickly.
Multiple choice questions are much easier to codify for analysis than open ended questions.
Such surveys are called polls.
A straw poll is an informal survey used to gauge public opinion or preferences on a topic. It is not a scientifically accurate method of data collection but can provide a general idea of sentiments or trends among a group of people. Straw polls are often conducted quickly and with limited participants.
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yes
No, because people could change another persons mind. And other people (in public) can say something that you never thought of or came up with. And it can help a lot.Another Answer:The odd thing about public opinion is that it is what someone else says it is. This means, it is a slave to what ever the reporting person wants it to be. We, as the public, do not have ready access to the polls that are used to gather public opinion and must rely on the poll takers and their treatment of the data. This means that we must be very cautious when we listen to "public opinion." We must take into consideration the biases of the reporter of it. While it is fine to listen to what someone else says, we should consider the same data from as many different perspectives as possible before deciding on the validity of that data.
Asking questions on polls reveals how people feel, whether or not they will eventually be voting on an issue or candidate. Polls use any of several criteria to determine how answers represent public sentiment.
its easier to quantify etc
its easier to quantify etc
its easier to quantify etc
Opinion polls are an attempt to accurately measure the opinion of the public on an issue. They vary in quality depending on how and when they are taken and the questions they ask. Officials use them to help guide their decisions and please the public. Sometimes they use them to justfy their decisions. In this case, the questions are usually slanted to produce the answer they want.
Polls can reflect public opinion to some extent, as they aim to capture the views and attitudes of a sample of the population. However, they may also shape public opinion to some degree. The way a poll is conducted, the wording of the questions, and the presentation of the results may influence how people think about an issue. Therefore, while polls can provide valuable insights into public sentiment, they should be interpreted with caution.
public opinion polls
Primaries let the public nominate presidential candidates. Many think when they cast their ballot, they are voting for their candidate. In actuality, they are selecting groups of electors in the electoral college. These are two good reasons for following campaign polls during a presidential campaign. Watching the polls will let you know what's going on! -SMOOVE SETTLES-
Straw Polls, Trading Polls, and Push Polls.
they are used for that purpose so people are forced to answer one way for polls etc to see which way public opinion is running
to find out the what the public is thinking
Frank Teer has written: 'Political opinion polls' -- subject(s): Public opinion, Public opinion polls