Unit 9: Sampling
Text reading and homework:
Read chapters 20, 21 and 23 of FPP and do the following
review exercises:
Chapter 20 (pages 371-373): 1, 3, 4, 5, 6
Chapter 21 (pages 391-394): 2, 3, 4, 5, 12
Chapter 23 (pages 425-428): 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Reading:
Sharon Begley, "The Slippery Art of Polling," Newsweek,
"On Science" column, October 6, 2008, page 12.
Document source:
LexisNexis.
Possible essay questions:
The column says, "... old truths about polling are in tatters." What are some
of the "old truths" that are fraying?
- We learned in the text that the Gallup poll made its initial reputation by
pointing out how the Literary Digest poll was over-polling Republicans.
Why might Gallup itself now "[catch] flak for supposedly overpolling Republicans"?
(The article doesn't say, and I have no answer either, but I am interested in
yours.)
Revised November 14, 2008. Questions to
dlantz@mail.colgate.edu
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