Confronting 2016 and 2020 Polling Limitations
Looking at final estimates of the outcome of the 2020 U.S. presidential race, 93% of national polls overstated the Democratic candidate’s support among voters, while nearly as many (88%) did so in 2016.
Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
Publications
-
-
Q&A: After misses in 2016 and 2020, does polling need to be fixed again? What our survey experts say
Polling organizations have taken close looks at how election surveys are designed, administered and analyzed. We are no exception.
-
Social Media Use in 2021
A majority of Americans say they use YouTube and Facebook, while use of Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok is especially common among adults under 30.
-
Partisan differences in social media use show up for some platforms, but not Facebook
Democrats are about 10 percentage points or more likely than Republicans to say they ever use Instagram, Twitter, WhatsApp, LinkedIn or Reddit.
-
Pressing China on human rights – even if it hurts economic relations – has Americans’ bipartisan support
Unlike with other China-related issues, there is little partisan difference on this question, a February survey found.
-
7% of Americans don’t use the internet. Who are they?
Today, 25% of adults ages 65 and older report never going online, compared with much smaller shares of adults under the age of 65.
-
Share of Republicans saying ‘everything possible’ should be done to make voting easy declines sharply
An 85% majority of Democrats say everything possible should be done to make voting easy; 28% of Republicans say this.
-
STEM Jobs See Uneven Progress in Increasing Gender, Racial and Ethnic Diversity
The higher education pipeline suggests a long path is ahead for increasing diversity, especially in fields like computing and engineering.
-
The impact of survey mode on measuring public opinion in Italy
Using a “bridge survey,” we simultaneously fielded identical questions and response options via both in-person and telephone interviews.
-
Many in U.S., Western Europe Say Their Political System Needs Major Reform
In the U.S., concerns about political corruption are especially widespread. Two-in-three Americans agree that the phrase “most politicians are corrupt” describes their country well.
