Chapter 18: Interest Groups and Public Opinion "Public Opinion Polls"

Introduction

In this chapter students learned about the types of interest groups in the United States, how lobbyists affect public policy, how public opinion is formed in the United States, and the methods used to measure public opinion. In this activity they will take a closer look at an organization that conducts polling to monitor public opinion on various issues.

Lesson Description

Students will visit the Public Agenda Online Web site to learn more about the purpose of this public opinion organization and its methods. They will navigate the site, answer four questions about what they have read, and then write and conduct a survey of their own.

Instructional Objectives

1. Students will become familiar with polling methods and terminology.
2. Students will be able to conduct and analyze a survey of their own.

Student Web Activity Answers

1. Public Agenda is a nonpartisan, nonprofit public opinion research and citizen education organization. Its mission is to "help leaders better understand the public's point of view on major policy issues" and to "help citizens better understand critical policy issues so they can make their own more informed and thoughtful decisions."
2. The margin of error reflects a researcher's confidence in the data he or she has collected. If a poll states that "78 percent of Americans think that recycling is a good thing" and the margin of error in the poll is +/-3, then the actual number of Americans who think that recycling is a good thing could be as high as 81 percent or as low as 75 percent.
3. Students' answers will vary.
4. Students' answers will vary.
5. Students' surveys and results will vary.

Go to Student Web Activity