Each election cycle presents more challenges in the form of American elections and the electorate. Although most people would seem to avoid such challenges, Mr. George Gallup, one of the founders of public opinion research, seemed to revel in challenges presented by various presidential candidates ( Overbey, 2012) . Some of the virtues that Gallup had were integrity and independence, which have made the institution among the most renowned in the world. Going by the reputation of the institution, many people would agree he succeeded in his quest. To ensure he remained independent, Gallup refused to participate in any polling that was funded by an interested party such as Democratic and Republican parties, which has proved to be the foundation of the institution.
The first success for Dr. Gallup came in 1936 presidential elections, where he predicted Franklin Roosevelt would defeat his opponent Alfred Landon. Two years later, in 1938, Gallup and his Vice President Ogilvy started carrying out market research for other firms such as marketing organizations and the film industry ( Overbey, 2012) . In 1958, numerous polling companies merged to form the Gallup Organization. Since then, the organization has seen a massive expansion into several other areas.
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The Gallup Poll one of the divisions within the organization that conduct public opinion polls in over 140 countries globally. The system has measured or tracked public attitudes towards politicians, social, and economic issues during a specific period. The system has proved to be a success in America, with only exceptions being in 1948 and 1976 elections.
The system can be said to be too responsive to public opinion. This is because most of the conclusions arrived at after a poll has been conducted reflect the answers from the respondents. Surveys are a measure of public opinion on something, be it a product, brand, or politician, which means it will only reflect the same.
References
Overbey, E. (2012, October 26). George Gallup and the Mystery of Polls . The New Yorker. https://www.newyorker.com/books/double-take/george-gallup-and-the-mystery-of-polls
