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Political Polls and News Coverage of the Presidential Election 4:00-5:30 pm
Registration is required
Registration cancellations will be accepted
Political polls receive extra attention in a presidential election year. They shape the narrative of the election, generating competing stories of the likely outcome, and identifying the obstacles the candidates face in their path to victory. Polling played an important role in the downfall of President Biden, as they supported the story that his age, and the perception that his cognitive abilities were failing, made his defeat almost inevitable. Now the polls suggest that Vice President Harris has reinvigorated the Democrat’s chances for victory in November up and down the ballot. Polls influence where donors are going to put their money and where political campaigns spend their limited funds.
In this program, we will discuss how to understand polls and how journalists use them to create an exciting story line. What are the weaknesses of polling now? Why might polls get things wrong? And what is the impact on voters of a particular interpretation of the polls?
The speakers will be Ben Toff and Daniel Myers, both newly promoted and tenured faculty members of the University of Minnesota. Toff is in the Hubbard School of Journalism. Myers is in the Department of Political Science. Both are faculty associates with the Center for the Study of Political Psychology.
Not a member and wish to attend this program? Contact Jane Stacy at janestacy@millcitycommons.org.
Interested in carpooling? Click on the registrant list and find a member in your building or near you that you can connect with and ask to share a ride. Or, feel free to contact the MCC office for a suggestion.