Original version

BBC World Service Europe and the Middle East

The Forum

Documentaries

Factual: Arts, Culture & the Media

Discover world history, culture and ideas with today’s leading experts

BBC World Service

BBC World Service South Asia

BBC World Service schedule for American satellite radio and the Caribbean

BBC World Service Americas and the Caribbean

BBC World Service Online

BBC World Service East Asia

BBC World Service West and Central Africa Schedule

BBC World Service West and Central Africa

BBC World Service East and Southern Africa Schedule

BBC World Service East and Southern Africa

BBC World Service Australasia

The Forum: From Straw Poll to Opinion Poll

Discussion & Talk

Harry S Truman

31/03/2018 GMT

From Straw Poll to Opinion Poll

BBC World Service - The Forum, From Straw Poll to Opinion Poll

With us since the 1930s, polls help forecast elections and conduct market research

Modern opinion polling has been with us since the late 1930s and is now used around the world to help forecast elections and to do market research.

Today, we can’t imagine an election without an opinion poll gauging public opinion on who’s leading, who’s won a debate or who’s more popular with a specific group of voters. Even our favourite chocolate bars and footballers are subject to a poll. But how did straw polls evolve into the scientific number crunching we know now? What is their purpose and impact? How differently are they used around the world? And just how reliable are they?

Bridget Kendall is joined by economist and chairman of Gallup Pakistan Dr Ijaz Shafi Gilani; Scott Keeter, senior survey advisor for the Pew Research Center in Washington; and Sir John Curtice from the University of Strathclyde.

Picture: American President Harry S Truman smiles and waves to the excited Kansas City crowd after hearing the news that he had won the United States elections in 1948 and retained the Presidency, despite of what many polls had predicted, Credit: Keystone, Getty Images.

Accessibility links

Programme Index

The Forum

From Straw Poll to Opinion Poll

Genres

Formats

Brand

BBC World Service Europe and the Middle East

About BBC World Service