Survey facts & stats

Question 1

About what share of people contacted for a phone survey actually respond, in recent years?

Accepted Answer

about 10%. Survey response rates have fallen sharply, down to about 10% in recent years as people grow warier of unsolicited calls.

Question 2

In what U.S. presidential election year is the first known opinion poll usually traced to?

Accepted Answer

1824. The first known opinion poll dates to the 1824 U.S. presidential election, when two Delaware newspapers tallied voter preferences.

Question 3

Modern scientific polling, using smaller but representative samples, is usually credited to Gallup, Crossley and Roper starting in what year?

Accepted Answer

1936. George Gallup, Archibald Crossley and Elmo Roper pioneered scientific sampling methods in 1936, correctly calling that year's election.

Question 4

Which famous 1948 polling failure predicted the wrong winner of the U.S. presidential election?

Accepted Answer

'Dewey Defeats Truman'. Pollsters and even a famous newspaper headline wrongly called the 1948 election for Thomas Dewey; Harry Truman won instead.

The basics