Should political election survey results be banned from going public?

[ghosthunter]

[SIZE="4"]Should Philippine political election survey results be banned from going public?[/SIZE]



The argument is that political surveys have become just another propaganda tool for political candidates. A survey done "here" said "this" and another survey done "there" would say the total opposite.

What is your say?

[tidus1203]

They should be allowed its part of democracy. Even in the US (Republicans vs Democrats vs Independents) and other more "MATURED" political systems surveys are very common... Only losers complain of surveys but when has surveys failed in predicting results? Unless super close ng laban na pasok pa sa survey margin of error...

[renzo_d10]

Yes, for me.

For some, surveys are their basis on who are they are voting.

Kaya if political surveys are stopped, Filipino men, especially the poor can now balance and think about on who should they vote.

For example ...

Q : Who will you vote ?
A : ***********************
Q : Why ?
A : Because he's popular. Siya yung top sa surveys, so magaling siya.

[Taurus]

The argument is that political surveys have become just another propaganda tool for political candidates. A survey done "here" said "this" and another survey done "there" would say the total opposite.

What is your say?

I would say if it affects the decision of the people on whom to vote then I guess it should be banned.

Anyway, I never really trusted those surveys even frrom the past elections. I vote whom I feel is qualified.

[boybi]

Has anyone here participated in any of the surveys from SWS, Pulse Asia, etc? Or anyone you knew have participated?

[tidus1203]

Has anyone here participated in any of the surveys from SWS, Pulse Asia, etc? Or anyone you knew have participated?

My college prof claims to have been part of the survey but that was back in 2004... Perosnally besides him wala na akong kilala...

[shadow]

nope! whiner lang at sore loser ang ayaw magpalabas ng survey result or kulelat, if that said candidate is leading, I'm sure hinde lalabas ang issue sa survey results.

based on the results of the top survey firms, wala pa naman nag contradiction sa results nila eh.

leading pa rin mga leading, kulelat pa rin ang mga kulelat.

[digitalron]

I would still allow political surveys to be made and the results published if and only if the full process is made transparent (without giving away the identities of the respondents, of course).

Transparent here means fully disclosing the process used, including the manner of respondent selection and the way the survey was done: was there a questionnaire that needed to be answered? How (i.e., fill-in the blanks, multiple choice, etc).

I'm sure the people in PulseAsia and SWS are extremely smart. However, without fully disclosing the process, I get suspicious of the accuracy of the whole exercise.

Case in point: there are around 42,000 barangays in the Philippines. The survey sample size ranges from 1,500 to 2,000 individuals. Heck... not even 5% of the total number of barangays were represented! How could the proponents therefore say that the sampling done is fully representative of the full demographics of the Philippine's voting populace?

Next... do the questionnaires used reflect the voting scenario? Are these similar to the ballots? Or are questions phrased in a particular way? Are respondents given the questionnaire and left to their own devices to answer... or do the field staff do some sort of briefing while the survey is going on? How can we be sure that the field staff are not doing partisan work in the background?

Finally... how about inviting an outside entity to do the surveys? As in, a non-Philippine based organization. For all the touted independence of the local survey firms. I'm sure it cannot be disregarded that objectivity is not met 100% of the time... and anything less than 100% objectivity (even if it is 99%) is not good enough. After all, the circles of influence of both survey practitioners and politicians intersect in this country of ours.

So... my response... continue to allow political surveys to be conducted and the results publicly published only if a totally full disclosure of the process is made.

[Altis6453]

I would still allow political surveys to be made and the results published if and only if the full process is made transparent (without giving away the identities of the respondents, of course).

Transparent here means fully disclosing the process used, including the manner of respondent selection and the way the survey was done: was there a questionnaire that needed to be answered? How (i.e., fill-in the blanks, multiple choice, etc).

I'm sure the people in PulseAsia and SWS are extremely smart. However, without fully disclosing the process, I get suspicious of the accuracy of the whole exercise.

Case in point: there are around 42,000 barangays in the Philippines. The survey sample size ranges from 1,500 to 2,000 individuals. Heck... not even 5% of the total number of barangays were represented! How could the proponents therefore say that the sampling done is fully representative of the full demographics of the Philippine's voting populace?

Next... do the questionnaires used reflect the voting scenario? Are these similar to the ballots? Or are questions phrased in a particular way? Are respondents given the questionnaire and left to their own devices to answer... or do the field staff do some sort of briefing while the survey is going on? How can we be sure that the field staff are not doing partisan work in the background?

Finally... how about inviting an outside entity to do the surveys? As in, a non-Philippine based organization. For all the touted independence of the local survey firms. I'm sure it cannot be disregarded that objectivity is not met 100% of the time... and anything less than 100% objectivity (even if it is 99%) is not good enough. After all, the circles of influence of both survey practitioners and politicians intersect in this country of ours.

So... my response... continue to allow political surveys to be conducted and the results publicly published only if a totally full disclosure of the process is made.

+1 To this. The entities conducting the survey should likewise disclose who commissioned it.

[badsekktor]

the question is why should they be banned? so what's wrong if it influences people? Last time I checked we live in a democratic country right?

Are we barking at the wrong tree here? If we want to create intelligent voters here, we should start by educating the masses.. so have we done something to help educate them?

[Zeus]

nope! whiner lang at sore loser ang ayaw magpalabas ng survey result or kulelat, if that said candidate is leading, I'm sure hinde lalabas ang issue sa survey results.

based on the results of the top survey firms, wala pa naman nag contradiction sa results nila eh.

leading pa rin mga leading, kulelat pa rin ang mga kulelat.

Parang si Sen. Gordon, angal ng angal sa mga surveys

[shadow]

the question is why should they be banned? so what's wrong if it influences people? Last time I checked we live in a democratic country right?

bec some candidate is a perennial tailender....

so blame everything else except himself.

[ajOT]

Has anyone here participated in any of the surveys from SWS, Pulse Asia, etc? Or anyone you knew have participated?

a good question to ask:
- were you surveyed?
- do you know or seen anyone anyone been surveyed? except from TV ads and other means of media....
- as to whom did they conducted the survey(s)?
- what means of livelihood did they surveyed? why?
- where do they conduct survey?

[ajOT]

Surveys may be to serve as also the guideline on how the candidate is doing good in his campaign
Let not be, the survey, serve as the guideline on whom to vote, do not let be disctated on the survey nor dont vote for a candidate kung sino ang sikat, laging no. 1 sa survey at laging napapanood sa tv, but instead, vote for a candidate whom you believe that will uplift our country and will help resolve our countries conflict immediately.... it is your country, it is our country, it is the country of all our children(s), choose and vote wisely....

[ajOT]

Surveys may be to serve as also the guideline on how the candidate is doing good in his campaign
Let not be, the survey, serve as the guideline on whom to vote, do not let be disctated on the survey nor dont vote for a candidate kung sino ang sikat, laging no. 1 sa survey at laging napapanood sa tv, but instead, vote for a candidate whom you believe that will uplift our country and will help resolve our countries conflict immediately.... it is your country, it is our country, it is the country of all our children(s), choose and vote wisely....

[ajOT]

double post
my apology

ikaw ang Simula sa Pagbabago
VOTE Wisely Pinoy

[digitalron]

Just in: http://ph.news.yahoo.com/gma/2010042...t-d6cd5cf.html

Key point:

"Such unjustified secrecy lends credence to suspicions that the surveys do not measure public opinion but are in fact being used to manufacture and manipulate public opinion in order to create synthetic support for certain candidates at the expense of other candidates whose real strength is deliberately downgraded, if not downright ignored, by the survey," he said.

Tatad has a very valid point that there really is a need for full disclosure!

According to the article, even the Comelec itself admits that surveys may unnecessarily sway the vote f the electorate.

And this is true! I've been lurking in a couple of sites that tackle this current election and looking at comments made by posters, a prevailing theme is

"my candidate is XXX but as he's not [doing good/progressing] in the surveys, I'll just vote YYY because I don't like ZZZ to win."

The funny thing is that a lot of the XXX is either Gibo or Gordon, while the YYY is Noynoy if ZZZ is Villar, or YYY is Villar if ZZZ is Noynoy.

So yes, the surveys can be thought of conditioning the minds of a lot of the electorate unless a full disclosure of the processes, including the principals who commissioned it, is made.

[shadow]

oh come on....who has the biggest money to spend? si Villar diba, then dapat siya na lagi ang number one sa surveys...bakit hinde ganun ang nangyayari?

[Galactus]

So far, the surveys I've seen are pretty credible. Only the pretentious tail-enders lang naman ang nagre-reklamo, nananginip kasing manalo. Pag nag-top si Acosta or si Perlas, then that's the time to complain about inaccuracy...

[Taurus]

[SIZE=4]Forbid surveys during election [/SIZE]

By Ramon Tulfo
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 23:14:00 04/23/2010

I’ve asked hundreds of people who they think is the most qualified presidential candidate based on experience, competence, intelligence and integrity. Most of them said Dick Gordon.
But most said they will not vote for Gordon because he’s a tailender in the popularity surveys.
It’s a pity Filipino voters select their candidates based on “winnability,” popularity or money, and not on principle.
That’s the reason why we should never complain about our government.
We deserve what we get.

* * *
Let’s do away with popularity surveys during the election season, or at least during the campaign period.
True, it’s unconstitutional to prevent the publication of survey results because that would be violating the freedom of the press.
But publishing survey results is also undemocratic as it tends to influence the great mass of naïve voters.
If discussing the merits of a criminal or civil case in public is prohibited by the courts as it might influence the decision of the judge hearing the case, why can’t we do the same with the results of popularity surveys?
If judges, supposedly men and women of letters, could be influenced by the discussion of the pros and cons of a criminal or civil case in media, more so the ignorant voters who are easily swayed.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquire...uring-election