Polling and Democracy, The Road Ahead

January 08, 2021

While some consider public opinion polls critical to democratic accountability, others question the ability of today’s pollsters to accurately reflect the public’s preferences on issues and candidates.

On Thursday, January 21st at 6:00pm the Roper Center for Public Opinion Research at Cornell University hosted a forum to examine the future of polling. The event was free and open to the public. View the recording of this unique panel discussion by clicking this link.

Speakers for Polling and Democracy

The expert panel consisted of leading voices from media, academia, and the polling industry:

Jennifer Agiesta, Director of Polling and Election Analytics, CNN
D. Sunshine Hillygus, Professor, Duke University
Scott Keeter, Senior Survey Advisor, Pew Research Center
Doug Rivers, Professor of Political Science, Stanford University
David Wilson, Senior Associate Dean, University of Delaware

The panel discussed the future of public opinion polls, why pollsters have come under fire in recent years, the limitations of public opinion polls, and whether polls actually enhance democratic representation.

The event was moderated by Peter K. Enns, professor of Government at Cornell, Executive Director of the Roper Center for Public Opinion Research, and Co-founder and Chief Data Scientist at Reality Check Insights.

The event wass free and open to the public. View the recording of this unique panel discussion by simply clicking this link.