Poll Hub
373 episodes - English - Latest episode: 4 days ago - ★★★★★ - 21 ratingsEach week, Poll Hub goes behind the science to explain how polling works, what survey really show, and what the numbers actually mean. Poll Hub is produced by the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion, home of America’s leading independent college public opinion poll, the Marist College Poll.
Lee Miringoff (Director of MIPO), Barbara Carvalho (Director of the Marist Poll), Jay DeDapper (Director of Strategy + Innovation), Mary Griffith (Associate Director), and frequent expert guests, dig deep to give you a look at the inner workings of polls and what they tell us about our world, our country, and ourselves.
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Episodes
Tax Reform, Donald Trump, & 2018 (Ep 22)
December 20, 2017 16:00 - 19 minutes - 18.1 MBWith the passage of the tax reform bill, the Republicans in Congress hope to start off the New Year with a sense that the GOP-controlled Congress can have legislative success. But, with so many questions about tax reform left unanswered, is this really a win for Republicans? As the Poll Hub team discusses, the danger for the Republicans is how tax reform unfolds in 2018 and whether the GOP can maintain its credibility given the expected impact of the legislation on the deficit. Will the Dem...
Alabama Shakes! Amy Walter On How A Senate Race Could Shape 2018 (Ep 21)
December 14, 2017 14:12 - 36 minutes - 33.1 MBThe special election for U.S. Senate in Alabama has been a near-perfect encapsulation of problems with political polls. Some have used proven scientific methods, others have not. Some have been transparent with their data and methodology, others…not so much. And then there are the poll averages. The widely reported Real Clear Politics’ last poll average prior to Election Day had Republican Roy Moore up by 2.2% over Democrat Doug Jones. The final results will likely have Jones winning by rou...
The Future of Public Opinion Polls (Ep 20)
December 07, 2017 16:59 - 25 minutes - 23.6 MBWith trust in the U.S. electoral system waning and indications of Russian involvement in the 2016 presidential election looming, could public opinion polls assume a new role in American democracy? In the 1930’s George Gallup envisioned the majority viewpoint as having a place in the dialogue of democracy. Eight decades later, polls are judged by their accuracy in predicting the elections. But, what if interference occurs in the electoral process? Could public opinion polls be used, as in eme...
The Realignment of America’s Political Parties (Ep 19)
December 01, 2017 14:15 - 39 minutes - 35.8 MBIn a candid and enlightening interview with Ron Brownstein, CNN senior political analyst and Atlantic Media's editorial director for strategic partnerships, Brownstein expounds upon the composition of the two main political parties in the United States and how the flux of the Democratic and Republican parties helped Donald Trump win the White House in 2016. Brownstein, who was among the first to identify the significance of white, non-educated voters in recent electoral cycles, explains what...
The Alabama Senate Race (Ep 18)
November 21, 2017 15:38 - 21 minutes - 19.8 MBAllegations of sexual misconduct against the Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Alabama, Roy Moore, have rocked the special election in the state. In this reddest of red states, the polls are inconsistent, and many lack the scientific rigor that instills confidence in the polls. Can the polls be believed? How volatile is the contest, and how difficult is it to identify likely voters given the national media attention surrounding this race? Poll Hub weighs in. And according to new natio...
What’s in an Approval Rating? (Ep 17)
November 17, 2017 13:57 - 39 minutes - 35.7 MBPresident Donald Trump has certainly been in the thick of things during his first 10 months in office, but his job approval rating has changed little since he took the Oath of Office. As this episode of Poll Hub explains, President Trump maintains the support of his base and focuses on issues that interest his core group of supporters. But, a majority of Americans consider the president’s policies to mostly favor the wealthy. As the president’s policy initiatives move forward, could that im...
Election Wrap Up (Ep 16)
November 09, 2017 12:12 - 17 minutes - 16.1 MBThe pre-election polls in Virginia were wildly inconsistent. The disparate methodologies, specifically how samples were selected, muddied the narrative of the gubernatorial contest. As the Poll Hub team explains, the traditional method of conducting live interviews using a Random Digit Dial sampling method proved the most accurate in predicting this year's governor's race in Virginia. Which polling group was the most accurate, and what are the big takeaways for the industry? Poll Hub has the...
It’s All in the Wording (Ep 15)
November 03, 2017 15:38 - 38 minutes - 34.8 MBIn this episode of Poll Hub, the team does something they have never done before – calling out poor question wording. At issue is a question included in the October Harvard-Harris Poll which asks: Some people say that the Iran nuclear deal is not perfect and the Iranians are building up their nuclear capability secretly, but we should not rock the boat now and just let it all slide along. Others say if Iranians are not compliant we have to call them out on it and push to renegotiate the de...
Covert Russian Ops on Social Media (Ep 14)
October 26, 2017 14:35 - 29 minutes - 27.3 MBWith allegations that operatives based out of Russia purchased Facebook advertisements to interfere in the 2016 presidential election and an investigation underway by the United States Congress to assess the extent of the Russians’ interference, Facebook may have played an unexpected role in the electoral process of the United States. How did this social media platform evolve into an advertising platform, and how did it become a political tool? As the “Poll Hub” team discusses, Facebook...
Sexual Harassment in the Workplace (Ep 13)
October 19, 2017 16:57 - 38 minutes - 35 MBThough the Harvey Weinstein scandal has stolen the spotlight, sexual harassment in the workplace is not a new issue in American society. But, it is a persistent one. According to new Exclusive Third Rail with OZY-Marist Poll findings, 87% of Americans believe that workplace sexual harassment is a problem. Included are 42% of Americans who think it is a big problem. As the Poll Hub team discusses, that proportion has increased by more than two to one over the past thirty years.
What’s Up with the Polls in Virginia? (Ep 12)
October 13, 2017 11:53 - 28 minutes - 26.5 MBWith few major statewide elections on the ballot this year, the Virginia governor’s race is front and center, but there is little agreement among the polls about the contest. In this edition of Poll Hub, the team digs deep into the polls’ methodologies and explains the “special sauce” behind each poll. Understand how the widespread experimentation in polling is complicating survey research today and why it is critical to examine the samples and weighting factors used by public opinion poll...
The Opioid Crisis in America (Ep 11)
October 06, 2017 10:46 - 28 minutes - 26.1 MBThe opioid epidemic in the United States is no secret to most Americans. According to a sweeping survey by the PBS NewsHour/Marist Poll, addiction to prescription opioid painkillers such as oxycodone, is a problem that affects 54% of Americans. In fact, about one in four Americans say someone in their own family suffers from this addiction. In this episode of Poll Hub, the team examines how this crisis compares with the crack epidemic in the late 1980's, whether the United States is ...
Race in America (Ep 10)
September 29, 2017 13:26 - 21 minutes - 20.1 MBStories of taking a knee and other national anthem protests by NFL players to draw attention to racial inequality in the United States have saturated news headlines. But, what is the status of race relations in the nation today? This episode of Poll Hub addresses that very question with special attention given to President Donald Trump’s impact on race relations in the United States. Mr. Trump’s first nine months in office have been consumed with the topic of race, and according to Excl...
Risky Business? President Trump Deals with the Democrats (Ep 9)
September 20, 2017 15:30 - 27 minutes - 25.2 MBOn this episode of Poll Hub, what do Donald Trump’s supporters think of the president’s talks with the Democrats on the issue of immigration? According to a new national Marist Poll, Donald Trump’s job approval rating is up to 39% from 35%, among Americans, and it is President Trump’s base that accounts for the improvement. Why hasn’t the president’s core abandoned him in light of his negotiations with congressional Democrats? Are there other factors influencing the president’s improved j...
Is Truth Overrated? Is Lying the New American Way? (Ep 8)
September 15, 2017 16:18 - 24 minutes - 22.3 MBIn this episode of Poll Hub, truth. Based on results from the Exclusive Third Rail with OZY-Marist Poll, the Poll Hub team discusses whether or not honesty is alive and well in American society. Together with political journalist and tech entrepreneur Jay DeDapper, Dr. Lee M. Miringoff, Director of The Marist College Institute for Public Opinion, and Dr. Barbara L. Carvalho, Director of The Marist Poll, address the prevalence of lying in everyday life, even at the highest level of Americ...
Come Together (Ep 7)
September 08, 2017 16:48 - 25 minutes - 23.6 MBIn this episode of Poll Hub, the debate over DACA. According to a new Marist Poll, a majority of Americans disapprove of President Donald Trump’s move to end DACA, similar to the findings of other recent surveys. What does it mean when the polls converge? Can the average poll consumer trust the results? Does question wording matter? The Poll Hub team takes a deep dive into the issue. Then, Poll Hub gets wonky. Dr. Lee M. Miringoff, Director of The Marist College Institute for Public O...
The states or The STATES? (Ep 6)
August 31, 2017 17:08 - 22 minutes - 21 MBIn this episode of Poll Hub, Dr. Lee M. Miringoff, Director of The Marist College Institute for Public Opinion and Dr. Barbara L. Carvalho, Director of The Marist College Poll, discuss with political journalist and tech entrepreneur Jay DeDapper, the poll’s decision to go into the three Rust Belt States that helped put President Donald Trump over the top in the 2016 election. According to the latest NBC News/Marist Polls of Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, President Trump is having dif...
There Are No Generic Congresspeople. So Why Are There Generic Congressional Polls? (Ep 4)
August 30, 2017 09:46 - 20 minutes - 17.4 MBThough it may seem inherently contradictory, the generic ballot question can provide very specific information about the electorate and its mood. But, as the Poll Hub team discusses, analysis of the generic ballot question cannot occur in a vacuum. It must be discussed in light of the president’s job approval rating. On this episode of Poll Hub, Dr. Lee M. Miringoff, Director of The Marist College Institute for Public Opinion, Dr. Barbara L. Carvalho, Director of The Marist College Poll, a...
Everything Evolves, Even Polls (Ep 3)
August 29, 2017 09:49 - 22 minutes - 19.4 MBIn this episode of Poll Hub, together with political journalist and tech entrepreneur Jay DeDapper, Dr. Lee M. Miringoff, Director of The Marist College Institute for Public Opinion, and Dr. Barbara L. Carvalho, Director of The Marist College Poll, explain how public opinion polls have evolved over the last 80 years. Front and center in the discussion is the need for pollsters to adjust as technology changes and the challenge of conducting quality surveys in light of the increased costs asso...
A Crisis in Faith (Ep 2)
August 23, 2017 10:16 - 23 minutes - 20.2 MBSince the 1970’s, there has been a sharp shift in the level of confidence Americans have in the institutions of the United States. What has changed, and why? In this episode of Poll Hub, Dr. Lee M. Miringoff, Director of The Marist College Institute for Public Opinion, Dr. Barbara L. Carvalho, Director of The Marist College Poll, and political journalist and tech entrepreneur, Jay DeDapper look closely at the recent NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist Poll to highlight the institutions in which America...
We Approve of this Podcast (Ep 1)
August 23, 2017 09:59 - 24 minutes - 22.6 MBJob approval ratings are a daily part of the political discussion, but why do they receive so much attention? Do they really matter? In this episode of Poll Hub, Dr. Lee M. Miringoff, Director of The Marist College Institute for Public Opinion, Dr. Barbara L. Carvalho, Director of The Marist College Poll, and political journalist and tech entrepreneur Jay DeDapper discuss the historical context of job approval ratings and explain their relevance in modern day politics.
The Aftermath of Charlottesville and Trump's Crumbling Base (Ep 5)
August 17, 2017 08:53 - 30 minutes - 28.1 MBIn a week marked with tragedy, heightened race relations, and political fallout, the Poll Hub team takes an in-depth look at the new NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist Poll of Americans on the Unite the Right Rally in Charlottesville, Virginia and the deadly violence that followed. That poll, along with another conducted by The Marist Poll immediately preceding the events of Charlottesville, give a huge amount of insight into how Americans view their President, what expectations they have for him, and...
Poll Hub: The Podcast from the team at The Marist Poll
August 10, 2017 13:47 - 7 minutes - 6.46 MBEpisode 0 otherwise known as the "what the heck is this podcast about" episode where hosts Jay DeDapper, Lee Miringoff and Barbara Carvalho explain why the Marist Poll launched the show. Short and to the point.