Public Opinion Polls
Public opinion polls, also known as inquiry or surveys, are used to gather information about the public on a specific topic or issue that directly affects them. Question askers are trained to assess the response of the respondents. These surveys can be conducted by different organizations. They draw conclusions about public opinion. Different polls have different methods of selecting participants. To ensure accuracy, the population demographics and sampling error are taken into account. This paperA discusses two topics in public opinion polls. First, the importance and future plans for energy. The second, the importance and future direction of Louisiana’s medical-health research. Both surveys analyze the data and identify the final position of participants.
In an effort to understand the public’s opinion on nuclear energy, the long-term trend of conducting a survey has been ongoing. The research is sponsored by the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI). It also offers a unique database of insolences toward nuclear energy. Quest Global Research conducted the poll between September 21st and Oct. 1st 2016, as part of NEIaEUR.tm’s 33-year program for tracking public opinion (Clarke et.al. 136). NEI conducted surveys for quite some time to get an idea of the public’s views on the future development and use of nuclear energy in America. This property is about nuclear energy’s importance in meeting America’s electricity needs in the next few years. Another question that was asked to the sample population was about the future relevance of nuclear power plants. The pools were used to address the American people’s demand for nuclear fuel. Representatives from across the country were used to make the sample of 1,000 adults. It was large enough that it could be avoided. (Clarke et al. 134) notes that a survey’s population sample should range from 800 to 2000, depending on its type. The population sample for this survey was therefore within acceptable limits. The margin of error was +/- 3 percentage points (Nei.org 2018, 2018). The sample population included 1,000 adults, male and female. The population below 24 years old was 10 percent. Participants between the ages 50 and 64 made up 29.9%. The percentage of people over 65 years old was 19%. 75% of the sample population were Caucasian/white and 22% were Asians (Nei.org 2018, 2018). The sample population was made up of all ethnicities and races that are residing in the United States. Random sampling was used to select the sample population. Interviewers called each participant on a landline or mobile phone to randomly select the participants. The sample population was asked questions by the interviewers, which were pre-prepared.
The target population were Americans who daily consume energy in any way. I would assign 9 points on a scale of 1-10, as previous surveys have shown consistent results (Nei.org (2018)). Furthermore, the results were accurate due to the large sample. The survey concluded that 65 percent of Americans supported nuclear energy, which is a significant increase from previous polls. Additionally, 95% of the population agreed that nuclear energy should be an important future resource and 84% believed it should be.
Louisiana is a world leader in health and medical research. To assess its importance, a state-based opinion survey was conducted to gauge public opinion. Research America and Zogby Analytics conducted the survey in January 2016. Since 1992, Research America has been collecting public opinion about improved health research. This survey reveals the public’s view towards state-funded health and medical research, thus enabling improvements.
This property is about the importance of health and medical research in Louisiana. Research America’s Zogby Analytics conducted the survey. The survey was conducted by Zogby Analytics on behalf of Research America. It asked about research, and Louisiana’s potential leadership in medical research. 800 adults participated in the survey. All the participants were aged 18 and over and were from Louisiana. The margin of error is +/- 3.5 percentage point.
As it was within the parameters of any survey, the sample population was sufficient. The sample size was sufficient, as 800 participants is the minimum. To avoid bias, however, they chose a slightly higher number to avoid rushing. The sample population came from Louisiana and included people aged 18 years or older. The sample population was randomly selected and called by telephone. The numbers were dialled at random, and participants were asked questions using a prepared questionnaire.
The target population was Louisiana citizens, particularly those interested in medicine or health research. I would rate the opinion poll 7 on a scale from 1-10 because the sample size was too small to prevent errors. Due to their small sample, I believe the polls could have been biased. The polls showed that 89% of residents supported medical research and health, indicating that Louisiana should be the first.
Opinion surveys are conducted to find out what people think about a topic. For the best data, samples of people from the affected populations are used to determine the percentage that agree or disagrees on a given subject. Surveys are conducted to determine the public’s stance on various subjects like nuclear energy and medical/health research. Both surveys were conducted with a random selection of adults aged 18 and over. According to the polls, Americans have strong feelings about nuclear energy. The polls revealed that Louisiana residents considered research important.
