The purpose of reviewing the two surveys/polls (one political and the other environmental) is to analyze and measure their efficiency. First, is the description of the polls and then analyses of the number of participants compared to the country’s general population. The paper highlights the use of the poll results in story-telling and supporting ideas of the sponsoring firm/media.
Political Survey
The poll (Pew Research Center, 2020) is about the views of Americans on several election proposals and whether the covid19 pandemic will disrupt the presidential elections in the United States. The poll intended to get Americans' responses and particular interest with the aspect of the political party affiliations of each respondent. The survey also highlights the possible effects of the pandemic on exercising their voting rights and their willingness to use alternative non-conventional methods of voting in the presidential election. The survey seeks to collect the information on what the public thinks about the government allowing voting by mail because of the devastating effects caused by the covid19 pandemic. It’s a topic of interest as it addresses a current issue, the covid19 pandemic that has become a global detriment. Moreover, being an American citizen, consideration of how the pandemic affects the presidential elections would be a subject to consider.
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In this poll, 4917 U.S adults participated. In comparison to the total population of the country of about 329 million people, the number seems very small. However, notable that the sample surveyed were members of the Pew Research Center’s American Trends Panel (ATP). The ATP members are randomly selected on an address basis. Such selection ensures sufficient coverage of all parts of the United States. The choice of members come on board depending on factors such as gender, education levels, race/Hispanic origins, the number of years they have lived in the U.S, accessibility to home internet, their region or metropolitan status, voter registration, volunteerism and party affiliation makes it reliable, (Pew Research Center, 2020). Although the sample number used for the survey in small, it’s a convincing representation of the whole country.
The number of 4917 respondents used as a sample is reasonable. Diversity ensures nationwide coverage to capture accurate views of the whole population.
The poll accurately depicts the viewpoint of the whole U.S population as the respondents are systematically selected to get an accurate representation. It is practically impossible to have all residents for a sample, but with the reliable sample chosen, it fully represents the country's viewpoints (Madson & Hillygus, 2018).
The poll results demonstrate the composition of the Democratic Party's supporters and their access to mail. The democrat leaders can use this information to sensitize their supporters further to ensure they can vote by mail. Republicans could use the information to strategize on either how to empower their supporters to be able to vote by mail or ways to enlist new supporters who have that capability.
Environmental Survey
The environmental survey (Desilver, 2020) is about renewable energy production, its use, and demand. It collects information on the public’s opinions on the domination of fossil fuels as an energy source and possible diversification to boost the nation’s energy production capacity. The poll seeks information on what the Americans think of the current energy portfolio of the U.S and actions to sustain the nation’s energy demands. This poll’s choice emanates from the general interest in the increasing global demand for sustainable energy with globalization and industrialization fast-paced in today’s information age. The subject of energy is of particular importance since all people use energy daily in one way or another.
The sample used for this survey included a total of 3627 adults against the total U.S population of about 329 million people. The participants of this survey are ATP members. They adequately represent the many aspects of the people across the U.S. Moreover, U.S Energy Information Administration data, which informed the survey questions, is reliable.
The sample of three thousand six hundred twenty-seven (3627) used in this survey is reasonable. However, for this poll, due to its complexity, apart from the sample used, it would be better to have a sample surveyed, especially for persons with expertise in the topic of renewable energy.
The poll accurately represents the viewpoint of America’s general populace. The diversity and geographical distribution of the sample used further increases the confidence or reliability of results from the sample.
Policymakers and government leaders in decision making can use the poll results in constructive decision-making. The private sector investors could use the information to study and consider investing in more renewable energy sources and seek collaborations to make a fortune out of such businesses. People opposed to renewable energy sources could use the information to argue out sustainability without venturing into such production of renewable energy with the argument of past success without it.
Overview
In poll one, the sample size used is 4917, while survey two uses a sample of 3627 respondents. The first sample is bigger than the second, especially considering that both survey results on different topics represent the same number of Americans (about 329 million). The samples are appropriate, primarily due to their diversity inclusivity and geographical distribution in selection. Both polls are of equal validity, with the difference only in the topics of interest.
Conclusion
Political polls and surveys can be vital tools in understanding society and evaluating public policies. The poll results can help develop better government-people linkages, enhance transparency and legitimacy of elections. Environmental polls can help ascertain the existing environmental issues for better decision-making and policy formulation by the government. It’s not prudent to dismiss all polls with the assumption of bias or as misleading. Asking the right questions helps to comprehend the limitations of the polls, their value, and the appropriate use of their findings (Hargittai & Karaoglu, 2018). Thus, promoting sectoral growth based on poll findings.
References
Desilver, D. (2020, January 15). Renewable energy is growing fast in the U.S., but fossil fuels still dominate . Retrieved from Pew Research Center: https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/01/15/renewable-energy-is-growing-fast-in-the-u-s-but-fossil-fuels-still-dominate/
Hargittai, E., & Karaoglu, G. (2018). Biases of Online Political Polls: Who Participates? Socius, 4, 2378023118791080 .
Madson, G. J., & Hillygus, D. S. (2018). All the best polls agree with me: Bias in evaluations of political polling. Political Behavior , 1-18.
Pew Research Center. (2020, April 28). Two-Thirds of Americans Expect Presidential Election Will Be Disrupted by COVID-19 . Retrieved from Pew Research Center: https://www.people-press.org/2020/04/28/two-thirds-of-americans-expect-presidential-election-will-be-disrupted-by-covid-19/
