Word: bandwagons
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
Those who say political polling generates a bandwagon effect claim the surveys cause voters and financial backers to follow the crowd and abandon unpopular candidates...
...more difficult to show the effect of poll standings on a candidate's success on election day. One branch of the bandwagon theory predicts that supporters of those performing poorly in the polls often fail to vote because they believe their cause is lost...
...extent that there is a bandwagon effect, Barone says, it is unfair to blame it on polls. "People don't live in a vacuum where polls are their only access to reality," he contends. "The poll is only one of many items that gives people information to who is ahead. The media, word of mouth, neighbors, advertising, leaflets, door-to-door campaigning--all relay certain impressions to the voter," he adds...
Experts agree that both underdog and bandwagon effects tend to be stronger in primaries than in general elections. "Most of the evidence suggests that the polls in general elections have a very limited bandwagon or underdog effect," says Gary R. Orren, a Kennedy School professor. In a general election, partisanship provides a broad base of support that "outweighs" any potential effect the polls might have, Orren adds...
Whether or not voters are directly effected by polls, polls may govern the amount of media attention each candidate receives. Many people believe that, if nothing else, there is a strong media bandwagon effect...