Beyond the horse race How to read polls and why we should

Polls are assiduously followed by politicians, the media, and a large segment of the public as a means of assessing trends, guiding political campaigns, and even influencing votes. However, leading pollster Zogby makes the case that many people are missing valuable information by focusing on the superficial "who's ahead and by how much" aspect of polls. He admits that polls can be misleading if the methodology used is not adequately stringent. While the science behind polling is sound if properly applied, much can go wrong, such as human error, political bias, and other factors involved in the famous "margin of error." Zogby leads the reader through the proper process that usually leads to reliable results and the information that can be gleaned by deep diving into those results. He explains why a good poll is usually reliable but also why poll results can differ widely. His analysis underscores when polls can be trusted as well as when skepticism is warranted. A timely read for the politically inclined.