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The Polls (1964-09-27)
About this film
One of the most controversial aspects of America's politics is the importance attributed to public opinion polls and surveys. The year 1936 saw the end of the straw vote and the beginning of the ever growing public opinion polls used to measure the political tide. Today [1964], there are about 200 polling organizations in our country. In surveying the surveyors, this episode explores why politicians are concerned with public opinion polls, what polls are, the validity of their information, how and why they are taken, their technical proficiency, their mistakes and their accuracy, their value to candidates, and how polls are handled. This episode features opinions by nationally-known opinion samplers, film excerpts of past and present political campaigns, comments by US Senators, on-the-spot coverage of operations of an opinion research data center and interviews conducted by pollsters. Dr. George Gallup, famous public opinion polling expert, says, "In politics I've always had the conviction - that a man ought to follow the dictates of his own conscience, and pay no attention to - well, I mean, he ought to do the thing he things is right. But it is just stupid not to know where the…
Directors & creators
National Educational Television and Radio Center
Subjects
public broadcasting, AAPB, Of People and Politics
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