Part I: Robert Kubey and Vincent M. Fitzgerald, Part II: Godfrey Sperling

In Part I of the following two-part viewpoint, Robert Kubey and Vincent M. Fitzgerald argue that public opinion polls harm political campaigns by focusing media attention on the popularity of candidates rather than on important political issues, and by unfairly aiding front-runners. In Part II, Godfrey Sperling contends that polls have become part of the democratic process and can potentially distort the outcome of elections. Kubey is the director of the masters program in communication and information studies at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Fitzgerald is an assistant professor of communications at the College of Mount Saint Vincent in Riverdale, New York. Sperling is an editorial writer for the Christian Science Monitor.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. Why has the press...