3.0

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Want to know how to interpret the polls that you see during the election cycle? What do sample sizes, margins of error, and interview mode even mean--and are they important? And are polls good for democracy or do they hurt democracy? We will examine these questions during the semester by following, in real-time, the elections occurring in the Fall. We will learn about the history of polling and consider what alternatives exist to find out about what Americans want from politicians. We will also learn about some of the mechanics of polling that will inform how we interpret the polls that we read about in the news. After this course, you will be able to create an informed opinion about what polls mean and how to evaluate their strengths and weaknesses when they are reported in the news.