Polling Matters: Why Leaders Must Listen to the Wisdom of the People

From Frank Newport, Editor in Chief of The Gallup Poll, comes a fascinating examination of the importance of measuring public opinion in modern society -- POLLING MATTERS: Why Leaders Must Listen to the Wisdom of the People.

For years, public opinion polls have been a valuable tool for gauging the positions that citizens take on a wide variety of topics. Politicians use them, the media report them, but many people either don't understand them or feel polls have way too much influence in society today.

Now in his new book, Newport turns what some see as conventional wisdom on its head, and presents a spirited and tightly argued case for paying more attention, rather than less, to the wisdom of the public.

• reveals what polls really are, how they are conducted, and why 1,000 people accurately represent millions
• shows exactly how this valuable information can be used effectively by both the media and elected representatives
• debunks the myth that the public is too ill-informed to have opinions worth paying attention to
• argues that when it comes to key decisions in society today, there should be less attention paid to the personal views of those we elect to represent us, and more to the collective views of the people they represent