Do polls measure opinion or manufacture it?

In a fascinating article for Research Live this week, Robert Struthers of BMG Research argues that even well-meaning pollsters are not simply measuring public opinion but are actually exerting a significant influence on it. In support of his argument he draws on a book called The Opinion Makers, written 20 years ago by former senior Gallup editor David W Moore.

According to Struthers, “Moore argues that even with balanced, well-designed questions, many polls manufacture opinion. They press people on issues they neither know nor care about, so pollsters misrepresent a view that was never really there.” And he continues: “I can think of questions I’ve asked that would fall foul of the same critique.”

He cites examples from the Gulf War and the UK’s so-called Poll Tax to illustrate the point. The article is available to read here on Research Live.