Maurice Carroll

Maurice Carroll, a former political reporter for the New York Times, is director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute in Hamden, Connecticut. In the following viewpoint he defends the use of opinion polls, including election polls, even though polling may sometimes influence election results. Polling is simply a tool journalists use to gain information, he asserts, and the media have an obligation to provide that information to the public. Although polls may have potential drawbacks, such as discouraging people from voting, they still perform a valuable function in a democratic society, Carroll concludes.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. What complaint did a senatorial candidate make about polls, according to Carroll?
2. What are some of the potential downsides of polls, according to the author?
3. How does Carroll respond to the argument that...