Edgeworth Analytics has released a course on polling entitled “Introduction to Polling–A Guide to the 2020 Election.” This introductory overview of polling is designed to help consumers of news and information better understand the polls that are often used incorrectly in the media. The course is made for anyone interested in polls in the lead up to the 2020 election season.
About the Course
As the 2020 election shifts into high gear, the media will begin to cover every second of the horse race. Throughout this process, both the media and voters alike will rely upon public opinion polls to assess candidates’ chances in a variety of federal, state, and local elections. However, during the 2016 election cycle many people that relied on polls were caught by surprise with the result of the presidential election. Some declared the surprise result was indicative of a polling industry “in crisis.”
While the polling industry did learn some tough lessons in 2016, which we discuss in more detail throughout the course, the picture is not as bleak as some in the media suggest. Our introductory polling course is designed to teach you a framework to use so that you can confidently follow the polls through this election season and beyond.
Topics include:
- The single biggest factor in conducting a reliable poll
- How the questions asked can make or break a poll
- Margin of error and why you need to understand it when interpreting polling results
- What went wrong in 2016
- What to look out for in 2020
