Evaluating public opinion data

Two market research firms conduct public opinion polls in the month before the city council votes on a proposed ordinance to issue fines to homeless individuals. Each firm uses a random-dialing system to contact 1000 city residents.

DynamicData’s survey asked: “Do you think homeless people should be issued a fine for making our city streets unsanitary?” 53% of respondents answered yes, 41% answered no, and 6% said they didn’t know.

Reardon Research’s survey asked: “Do you think homeless veterans should be punished for sleeping in the streets?” 23% of respondents answered yes, 68% of respondents answered no, and 10% said they didn’t know.

Which of the following most likely accounts for the different results?

(Choice A)
Neither poll had a large enough sample size to produce scientific results
(Choice B)
The polls relied on random-dialing, which rarely produces a representative sample
(Choice C)
The questions contained a difference in wording
(Choice D)
The polls were conducted at different times

AP®︎/College US Government and Politics

Course: AP®︎/College US Government and Politics > Unit 4

Problem