There’s a saying about lies and statistics, but a University of Northern Iowa professor is teaching students how a good poll is taken and what to do with the results. Political Science professor Allen Brierly says to get a grasp on public opinion, it’s important to ask a lot of people.To select people as randomly as possible, he chooses them from voting lists or the crowd at big public events. A good poll has well-phrased questions that are interpreted carefully, says Brierly. He explains a yes-no question isn’t a good way to study an issue.Try for rating where people can put down their assessment on some kind of scale, like one-to-ten. It helps to ask about topics people have been pondering, says Brierly, who often finds strong opinions about local budgets.He’s interested in state and local surveys, and people are likely to respond in best detail to questions on the local economy. While citizens with a complaint are most likely to come forward on their own, Professor Brierly says going out to survey a broad sample of people can turn up startling results. More than 8 in ten people in Black Hawk County are satisfied with local government. Brierly also does a poll of people involved in Iowa’s annual precinct caucuses, and says it’s a good predictor of how those people will vote in the general election.ss
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