4 ms·

Which is a great way of determining the level of knowledge people have about a bill. Simply ask them if they support he soundbite position, then start asking th

Which is a great way of determining the level of knowledge people have about a bill. Simply ask them if they support he soundbite position, then start asking them about the details. Particularly telling is if you start asking them to prioritize one thing over the other. I think a few the obamacare surveys did this, but people were frequently too partisan to change their minds about it, even when presented with the fact that it wasn't going to kill all the babies, or OTOH, create cheap wonderful helthcare for all.

throwawayjava 9y ago
Yes. In the context of this poll, Q3 could've been asked first with no definition provided, and without a "back" button. Then, after the top-level question, you can start honing in on potentially-priming questions aimed at figuring out people's policy preferences and perceptions.
- jacobolus 9y ago
  If you lead with the soundbite question, you end up distorting responses to all subsequent questions. Designing meaningful/informative polls is very hard.
greglindahl 9y ago
Eh, the classic version of this is a late 1960s experiment that asked people to sign a petition... which happened to be the Declaration of Independence. The overwhelming majority of Americans who started reading it didn't recognize it, and thought it was too radical.
- miles 9y ago
  That's fascinating. Do you have more information on that experiment? A few minutes searching did not turn up anything.
  - greglindahl 9y ago
    I wrote a term paper about the Students for a Democratic Society (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Students_for_a_Democratic_Society https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Students_for_a_Democratic_Soci...) in high school, and this is something I recall from it. I did a little googling and don't see a reference to it. Sorry.
    - miles 9y ago
      Just found it! After 36 Years, More Recognize Historic Documents, Survey Finds http://www.apnewsarchive.com/1987/After-36-Years-More-Recognize-Historic-Documents-Survey-Finds/id-2a57850fc4be5fe2c23bdef9827fa04d http://www.apnewsarchive.com/1987/After-36-Years-More-Recogn... 50 years ago, fear ruled Fourth: Reporter's petition measured effect of McCarthy http://host.madison.com/ct/news/local/govt-and-politics/years-ago-fear-ruled-fourth-reporter-s-petition-measured-effect/article_3a6ea200-819c-11e0-994d-001cc4c03286.html http://host.madison.com/ct/news/local/govt-and-politics/year... Plain Talk: Would people sign ‘subversive’ petition today? http://host.madison.com/ct/news/opinion/column/dave_zweifel/plain-talk-would-people-sign-subversive-petition-today/article_875e2646-c541-11e1-8e23-0019bb2963f4.html http://host.madison.com/ct/news/opinion/column/dave_zweifel/...
- bryondowd 9y ago
  I mean, that shouldn't really be a surprise. It would be a very bad sign if people today thought signing something like the declaration of independence (presumably independence from the USA, in this case) wasn't too radical. In theory, we should have a better relationship with our govt today than the colonists did with England back then. Although the way things are going, I wouldn't rule it out in the not too distant future, sadly.
bmelton 9y ago
I don't even know if that works. If late-night comedy has taught me anything, it's that if you take an un(der)informed Obama or Trump supporter[1], attribute the [policy|activity|event] to the contra, and ask if they support it, they typically will not. [1] Not suggesting that the average Obama or Trump supporter is uninformed or underinformed, but there are un(der)informed constituents to both.

throwawayjava 9y ago

Yes. In the context of this poll, Q3 could've been asked first with no definition provided, and without a "back" button. Then, after the top-level question, you can start honing in on potentially-priming questions aimed at figuring out people's policy preferences and perceptions.

jacobolus 9y ago
If you lead with the soundbite question, you end up distorting responses to all subsequent questions. Designing meaningful/informative polls is very hard.

greglindahl 9y ago

Eh, the classic version of this is a late 1960s experiment that asked people to sign a petition... which happened to be the Declaration of Independence. The overwhelming majority of Americans who started reading it didn't recognize it, and thought it was too radical.

miles 9y ago
That's fascinating. Do you have more information on that experiment? A few minutes searching did not turn up anything.
- greglindahl 9y ago
  I wrote a term paper about the Students for a Democratic Society (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Students_for_a_Democratic_Society https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Students_for_a_Democratic_Soci...) in high school, and this is something I recall from it. I did a little googling and don't see a reference to it. Sorry.
  - miles 9y ago
    Just found it! After 36 Years, More Recognize Historic Documents, Survey Finds http://www.apnewsarchive.com/1987/After-36-Years-More-Recognize-Historic-Documents-Survey-Finds/id-2a57850fc4be5fe2c23bdef9827fa04d http://www.apnewsarchive.com/1987/After-36-Years-More-Recogn... 50 years ago, fear ruled Fourth: Reporter's petition measured effect of McCarthy http://host.madison.com/ct/news/local/govt-and-politics/years-ago-fear-ruled-fourth-reporter-s-petition-measured-effect/article_3a6ea200-819c-11e0-994d-001cc4c03286.html http://host.madison.com/ct/news/local/govt-and-politics/year... Plain Talk: Would people sign ‘subversive’ petition today? http://host.madison.com/ct/news/opinion/column/dave_zweifel/plain-talk-would-people-sign-subversive-petition-today/article_875e2646-c541-11e1-8e23-0019bb2963f4.html http://host.madison.com/ct/news/opinion/column/dave_zweifel/...
bryondowd 9y ago
I mean, that shouldn't really be a surprise. It would be a very bad sign if people today thought signing something like the declaration of independence (presumably independence from the USA, in this case) wasn't too radical. In theory, we should have a better relationship with our govt today than the colonists did with England back then. Although the way things are going, I wouldn't rule it out in the not too distant future, sadly.

bmelton 9y ago

I don't even know if that works. If late-night comedy has taught me anything, it's that if you take an un(der)informed Obama or Trump supporter[1], attribute the [policy|activity|event] to the contra, and ask if they support it, they typically will not. [1] Not suggesting that the average Obama or Trump supporter is uninformed or underinformed, but there are un(der)informed constituents to both.