Why are affirmative action polls so inconsistent?

Bonn1997

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Tue Jun-30-09 02:19 PM
Original message

Why are affirmative action polls so inconsistent?

I've wondered this for a while. Here's a good sample of recent polls: http://www.pollingreport.com/race.htm
Depending on the wording, there's anywhere from 2 to 1 opposition to (almost) 2 to 1 support. I know wording can affect poll results but there doesn't seem to be any other issue with *this* much variability across polls. What are your thoughts?

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Kurska

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Tue Jun-30-09 02:22 PM
Response to Original message

1. It is complicated issue with alot of fine details.

So the opinion really does shift that much based on very simple changes to the question being asked.

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Tangerine LaBamba

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Tue Jun-30-09 02:26 PM
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2. Because the concept of affirmative action

is a very complicated and nuanced one, and the people who write the questions for those polls aren't smart enough to be able to incorporate those subtleties into their questions.

Also, people are idiots and don't know what affirmative action really is ......................

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ProgressiveProfessor

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Tue Jun-30-09 04:41 PM
Response to Original message

3. A lot goes into the framing of the questions

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Statistical

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Tue Jun-30-09 04:53 PM
Response to Original message

4. Push polling

Are you in favor of affirmative action system that ensure the best qualified candidate is not given the job?

Are you in favor of affirmative action systems that ensure that disadvantaged candidates are given equal access to good paying jobs?

2 questions on affirmative action. top one like 2:1 against. bottom one likely 2:1 in favor.

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anigbrowl

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Tue Jun-30-09 05:00 PM
Response to Original message

5. Reasons stated above, plus people have complex views

I'm a white male, and consider myself neutral on the subject. Mrs Browl is neither white nor male, and not in favor of AA (she also comes from a poor family, in case you're wondering). I think to get meaningful answers on this you'd need to pull together all the polling data (ie crosstabs and such) and conduct some meta-analysis on the statistics therein. Would be an interesting statistics project, though not a trivial one.

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