ABSTRACT
There is no doubt that public opinion research has become the central nervous system of the modern political campaign. Professionally run campaigns at all levels rely on public opinion research to inform them of what is on the minds of the voting public. A well-financed statewide campaign will employ a variety of survey instruments throughout the election cycle: a benchmark survey that gives a detailed first look at the strengths and weaknesses of the candidate, the political party, and the mood of the electorate. Since the 1970s, survey research firms have been able to use random digit dialing (RDD) to contact persons. Computer programs can take all telephone numbers from an area code or some other geographic location, and with the assistance of computer-assisted telephone interviews (CATI), efficiently place telephone calls. Some consultants offer brushfire polls, which are conducted generally during the middle of the campaign to determine name recognition and to spot new issues that may have arisen.
