The Issue Of Internet Polling

Authors

Nick A. Nichols, Illinois Wesleyan UniversityFollow

Abstract

Surveys, polls, and focus groups are common phenomena in our daily lives. We live in a world where big data is big business. Large decisions hinge on the accuracy and predicative power of these numbers. Therefore, it should not be surprising that there is a market for the malicious manipu-1ation of data. Extreme care must be taken in the collection, checking, and processing of data to prevent decisions from being made on incorrect as­sumptions. In order to demonstrate the full potential and possible impact of these attacks, I shall provide the following example: John Doe is a member of the United States Senate. In recent years, the political pressure to make a preemptive strike against a potential nu­clear threat has grown exponentially. In some of the more extreme cases, several senators have begun asking for support to make a motion to the President for military intervention. Eventually, Senator Doe is asked to sign a petition for their cause. Senator Doe decides that he must take the concerns, priorities, and beliefs of the voters in his state into account be­fore he can make a decision as their representative.

Recommended Citation

Nichols, Nick A. (2012) "The Issue Of Internet Polling," The Intellectual Standard: Vol. 2: Iss. 1, Article 4.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/tis/vol2/iss1/4