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Polling UnPacked: The History, Uses and Abuses of Political Opinion Polls
From a political-polling expert, an eye-opening––and hilarious––look at the origins of polls and how they have been used and abused ever since.
Opinion polls dominate media coverage of politics, especially elections. But how do the polls work? How do we tell the good from the bad? And in light of recent polling disasters, can we trust them at all?
Polling UnPacked gives us the full story, from the first rudimentary polls in the nineteenth century, through attempts by politicians to ban polling in the twentieth century, to the very latest techniques and controversies from the last few years. Equal parts enlightening and hilarious, the book requires no prior knowledge of polling or statistics to understand. But even hardened pollsters will find much to enjoy, from how polling has been used to help plan military invasions to why an exhausted interviewer was accidentally instrumental in inventing exit polls.
Written by a former political pollster and the creator of Britain’s foremost polling-intention database, Polling UnPacked reveals which opinion polls to trust, which to ignore, and which, frankly, to laugh at. It will change the way we see political coverage forever.
Opinion polls dominate media coverage of politics, especially elections. But how do the polls work? How do we tell the good from the bad? And in light of recent polling disasters, can we trust them at all?
Polling UnPacked gives us the full story, from the first rudimentary polls in the nineteenth century, through attempts by politicians to ban polling in the twentieth century, to the very latest techniques and controversies from the last few years. Equal parts enlightening and hilarious, the book requires no prior knowledge of polling or statistics to understand. But even hardened pollsters will find much to enjoy, from how polling has been used to help plan military invasions to why an exhausted interviewer was accidentally instrumental in inventing exit polls.
Written by a former political pollster and the creator of Britain’s foremost polling-intention database, Polling UnPacked reveals which opinion polls to trust, which to ignore, and which, frankly, to laugh at. It will change the way we see political coverage forever.
- GenresPoliticsNonfiction
352 pages, Hardcover
Published June 3, 2022
5 people are currently reading
62 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
April 25, 2023
At election time we are bombarded with polls. Who’s in the lead, what is the swing, and what do various people think about a swathe of subjects that you may or may not be interested in? They dominate the political news and journalists pour over the implications of a 0.3% difference from the last poll taken only a few days ago.
Crystal Balls – They do not work
Politicians of every hue claim not to be interested or swayed by them, but they are lying. They are equally captivated by them. Their political career can be dashed on the rocks should the polls move against them. But why are people so taken by these snapshots of opinion, how do they work and can we trust their results?
It is difficult to make predictions, especially about the future.
This is a fascinating book about everything that you could possibly want to know about polling. And quite a lot of stuff that you really didn’t think that you needed to know. Pack traces their origins right back to the 19th century and brings us through the successes and disasters of polling.
I liked this. The level is pitched about right for those (i.e. me) that know very little about how polling techniques can be both good and bad, which polls you might want to keep an eye on and which are frankly a waste of time and the most importantly how the companies that arrange them can skew the results either deliberately or accidentally.
Crystal Balls – They do not work
Politicians of every hue claim not to be interested or swayed by them, but they are lying. They are equally captivated by them. Their political career can be dashed on the rocks should the polls move against them. But why are people so taken by these snapshots of opinion, how do they work and can we trust their results?
It is difficult to make predictions, especially about the future.
This is a fascinating book about everything that you could possibly want to know about polling. And quite a lot of stuff that you really didn’t think that you needed to know. Pack traces their origins right back to the 19th century and brings us through the successes and disasters of polling.
I liked this. The level is pitched about right for those (i.e. me) that know very little about how polling techniques can be both good and bad, which polls you might want to keep an eye on and which are frankly a waste of time and the most importantly how the companies that arrange them can skew the results either deliberately or accidentally.
June 8, 2022
'Polling Unpacked' explains everything a general reader needs to know about the workings of political opinion polls on both sides of the Atlantic. Utilising his own experience in working for decades as a political pollster as well as a wealth of examples from historic and current polls, he describes how they are designed, how they work, and how they are analysed, before unravelling some of the biggest myths and pitfalls.
As such, 'Polling Unpacked' is something of a 'Dummies Guide' through the complicated and often controversial world of polling - he even summarises his book in ten handy points towards the conclusion. But what takes this beyond the standard 'how-to' guides is his accessible, humorous, and modest approach. It is well-written - even explaining some reasonably complex maths well - and direct, and Mark Pack's character, understanding and opinions shine through to make it a very personable book.
This does not, however, leave much room for debate, and the book very definitely focuses on the mechanics of political polling rather than the philosophy behind it. Although some attempt is made to address the criticisms that are directed against polling, the book in the main (although the conclusion is persuasively and passionately written) makes little attempt to bring people around to his way of thinking. That so much of the world - including established democracies - does not wholly approve of polling should, I believe, be addressed more meaningfully.
Sadly, I feel that this lack of balance stops a good book from being an excellent book. However, there is much to learn from, and enjoy in, 'Polling Unpacked'. It is necessary and topical, and, I'm sure, will end up on the 'Smart Thinking' shelves of any sensible bookshop.
As such, 'Polling Unpacked' is something of a 'Dummies Guide' through the complicated and often controversial world of polling - he even summarises his book in ten handy points towards the conclusion. But what takes this beyond the standard 'how-to' guides is his accessible, humorous, and modest approach. It is well-written - even explaining some reasonably complex maths well - and direct, and Mark Pack's character, understanding and opinions shine through to make it a very personable book.
This does not, however, leave much room for debate, and the book very definitely focuses on the mechanics of political polling rather than the philosophy behind it. Although some attempt is made to address the criticisms that are directed against polling, the book in the main (although the conclusion is persuasively and passionately written) makes little attempt to bring people around to his way of thinking. That so much of the world - including established democracies - does not wholly approve of polling should, I believe, be addressed more meaningfully.
Sadly, I feel that this lack of balance stops a good book from being an excellent book. However, there is much to learn from, and enjoy in, 'Polling Unpacked'. It is necessary and topical, and, I'm sure, will end up on the 'Smart Thinking' shelves of any sensible bookshop.
May 24, 2024
Against [a] backdrop of the public’s dim view of political polling, a number of excellent books have been written that attempt to shine some light on the industry from the inside. In engaging, accessible prose, Mark Pack’s Polling UnPacked joins other recent works such as Strength in Numbers by G. Elliott Morris (2022) and John Geraci’s Poll-arized (2022). Whereas Morris and Geraci write their respective manuscripts from a more unified thesis, Pack’s work is a bit more disjointed. Despite that, there is much to appreciate in this book.
Read my full review: https://themudbath.wordpress.com/2024...
Read my full review: https://themudbath.wordpress.com/2024...
December 18, 2024
Fall 2024 selection for CSU Statistics book club. This is an interesting read on the history, shortcomings, and successes of political polling. We read this book in the run up to and in the aftermath of the 2024 American presidential election. The author is British, so some of his examples are a bit distant for an American reader with minimal knowledge of British politics. I liked his list of suggestions when reading polls presented in the last section. It was good but not great.
January 27, 2023
A great, easy-to-read overview of what opinion polls can and cannot be used for. As someone who knows a bit about the topic, there was enough new context in there to keep me interested. I'd have loved a bit more statistical depth on how exactly MRP polling works but I suspect that's not really within the intended scope of the book!
June 11, 2023
Excellent read. Enjoyable account of ... Well history of polls and their use/abuse.
Lots of good stories and plenty of references for digging deeper.
Lots of good stories and plenty of references for digging deeper.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews