Title: Regulating opinion polling: a deliberative democratic perspective
Abstract: Political opinion polling, especially about electoral matters, is ubiquitous. Ostensibly, polling takes snapshots of the mood of the electorate. Whether it is an accurate reading of that mood is, of course, unknowable. But polling results and trends are highly influential in making and shaping political policy, careers and even the fate of governments. In the lead up to elections, polling is widely assumed (and indeed marketed) for its predictive value. Occasionally, as in the United Kingdom ('UK') general election of 2015, such predictions miscue badly. Often it pre-empts debate about - and even drowns out - substantive issues. The question animating this article is: how, if at all, should such polling be regulated?
Publication Year: 2016
Publication Date: 2016-05-01
Language: en
Type: article
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Cited By Count: 2
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