That’s isn’t how surveys generally work. The Independent will have commissioned a pollster who will have made sure the sample (usually around 3000 people) is representative.
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Yeah you are probably right. I am interested to see how important this issue will be at the next election. We might see this reflected in Lib-Dem’s take from the Tories loss.
I’m fairly convinced that polls/surveys which actually mean fuck all, are often un-representative of votes which actually matter.
Is this something you’ve thought about, or is this just a feeling?
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We notice the minority of polls which are inaccurate and ignore the majority that are correct. Just like the weather forecast.
Why would so much polling, market research and surveying be carried out if it was without merit?
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I based it on this.
Coincidentally, it’s my new years resolution to improve
I am very upset after last night’s debacle.
Is this the right thread to visit to be cheered up?
But pollsters do have their own idiosyncracies which leads to differences in their results (for example how they account for Don’t Knows isn’t all the same).
I haven’t read the Independent’s article yet but I did see a commentator on twitter comment on a recent poll (don’t know if it was this one or another one) which I think suggested that the support wasn’t as strong as implied.
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Surveys:
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I’ve said to friends and family that I’d like to see National Service (NS) reintroduced. I personally think it’d be an eye_opener for many young people. 
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I’d sooner go to prison than see my kids be corralled into national service.
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The point isn’t about NS (as you know) it’s about how to manipulate opinion polls.
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Another way which I’ve seen once before with regards to Brexit polling, though can’t remember where, is to give a 3rd option. Eg.
Would you want another referendum on Brexit?
a) Yes
b) No
c) Yes but must retain control of borders and migration and have a choice of passport colours.
Then amalgamate total votes for a and c to get your answer.
and here’s one more just for fun.
Would you rather support Everton or Man United?
Then report it as 7 out of 10 Liverpool fans say they would rather support Everton.
There was a time I’d have been for it, simply to teach the younger generation how to be disciplined and respectful.
Not now though.
Not sure it would work in this modern age because the recruits would all be lawyered up even before they joined up
Which is why polling is fine, but the reports on the polling aren’t. I usually prefer to read the results directly, i.e. with the full question and the results for each option presented.
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