Polling & Democracy: An Uneasy Relationship

Back in December, with our election season partners, FiveThirtyEight, we issued a Breaking News Consumer's Handbook: Election Polls Edition. It was directed towards primary election coverage, but some of the points still bear repeating. Like this one: look for polls of likely voters, not just registered voters. Also, beware polls tagged “bombshells” or “stunners”.

But what if the problem of polling is about more than separating best and worst practices? What if the whole premise is, and always has been, flawed? Jill Lepore explored these and other questions in her New Yorker article, "Politics and the New Machine." Bob speaks to Jill about the history of polling and how its idealistic ambitions are undermined by shady practices and shaky assumptions.