A group interested in the result of an upcoming presidential election is conducting a poll to find the likely result. They randomly select registered voters nationwide in a proportional model that mirrors the electoral breakdown of the country. The participants are asked if they are likely to vote in the upcoming election. Then, they are asked if they agree with characterizations of Religion X as exclusionary and encouraging of violence. The participants are then asked how they feel about Candidate A's affiliation with Religion X, his participation in which he has discussed publicly. What is the flaw in this poll?
A)There is no flaw.
B)Leading questions
C)Random selection
D)Asking a question about religion

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Referencing negative characterizations of a subject or issue integral to the poll before asking questions related to that issue is leading to all of the questions that follow the reference. Reminding or informing the participant that a candidate's religion is a controversial issue and further discussing the controversy may cause them to overemphasize the issue when they respond to later questions. It is possible to poll on a topic of this nature reliably, but great care must be given to question order, as well as to the language used when discussing a controversial topic.

A Group Interested in the Result of an Upcoming Presidential