9/9: There’s Nothing Wrong with the Margin of Error that a Little Understanding Won’t Cure

By Dr. Lee M. Miringoff Next time you hear a media report on a public poll, who’s ahead in an election or the approval rating of an elected official, you’re also likely to be told about the poll’s so-called margin of error.  Don’t jump to any hasty conclusions about some mistake that was made in […]

8/1: Methodology Should be Methodology, whether a Public Poll* or an Academic Survey

It’s no secret that academic survey researchers and public pollsters have very different goals for their work. Public pollsters are gathering data to quickly measure the current environment and find out who thinks what.  In contrast, academic researchers ponder why the environment is what it is, and what the implications of their findings are for […]

7/23: Same Old, Same Old?

By Dr. Lee M. Miringoff The latest McClatchy-Marist national poll has nothing but bad news for President Obama and Congress.  Surprising? Not really.  It’s more of the same….only more so.  Six months into his second term, President Obama’s approval rating is at a two-year low at 41%.  His GOP counterparts in Congress are scraping bottom at […]

7/11: Forgive and Fuhgeddaboudit?

By Dr. Lee M. Miringoff In case you need to be reminded from time to time, New York news is national news. But, New York City pols may be overdoing it this election cycle. With Michael Bloomberg exiting City Hall after three terms, a crowded race for mayor was a given. But, the return of Anthony […]

6/26: Will the New York City Mayor’s Race Come Down to the Buzzer?

By Dr. Lee M. Miringoff For those watching the Bruins/Blackhawks Stanley Cup final the other night or game six of the NBA championship, the lesson learned is to stay in your seat until the very end.  That may also be the case with the NYC Democratic Primary for Mayor.   Nonetheless, the latest Wall Street Journal/NBC […]

11/28: Mitofsky Still Teaching

By Dr. Lee M. Miringoff It’s been 6 years since our mentor, colleague, and friend’s death.   Warren Mitofsky was a clear thinker and major innovator of the public polling community.  Beyond his methodological rigor, he communicated long-lasting, yet, simple messages to the profession.  His thoughts remain vital through the 2012 election cycle. Despite this year’s successful […]

11/27: A New Normal?

Four weeks.  It’s been four weeks since the tides swelled, the water rushed in, and the lights went out.  Still, the lingering question is, Will we ever get back to normal? All things considered, we are extremely blessed.  Our electricity came back after twelve days of darkness, and we have hot water.  We are still […]

11/5: On Election Eve…

By Dr. Lee M. Miringoff When it comes to public opinion polls, this election cycle has had more shoot the messenger reactions than ever before.  There’s little doubt that pollsters are  in season for October and November. Maybe this results from the growing twitter-sphere. I can’t recall the number of times I’ve had to explain […]

11/5: A Nod to Democracy

By Barbara Carvalho With all the political spin, polarization, and cynicism that accompanies much of the chatter about Campaign 2012, it’s easy to lose sight of what Election Day represents.  At the Marist Poll at Marist College, the election season (which seems to get longer and longer) is a time to engage our students and […]

11/1 Undecided Voters in the 2012 Presidential Election

In Presidential elections some people will always vote for the Democrat and some will always vote for the Republican.  But, there’s that group of people in the middle who make up their mind as the campaign moves toward Election Day that often decides who wins.  The exact proportion of undecided voters varies from campaign to […]