One of the problems with the Literary Digest poll taken prior to the 1936 presidential election was:
A) Many of the people in the population could not afford a telephone.
B) The sample size was too small.
C) The population was too large.
D) The responses were biased because of the way the questions were phrased.
E) Most people were not at home at the time the calls were made.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The Literary Digest poll relied on telephone surveys, which meant that people who did not have a telephone (often due to financial constraints) were excluded from the sample. This resulted in a biased sample and inaccurate prediction of the election outcome.

One of the Problems with the Literary Digest Poll Taken