push polls
Fake opinion research
Push polls are telephone campaigns disguised as opinion surveys, designed not to gather data but to spread negative information about a political opponent.
The "questions" contain damaging allegations or insinuations: Would you still support Candidate X if you knew he had been accused of fraud?
The goal is to influence voters while creating the appearance of legitimate research.
Despite the name, they are not polls at all but a form of negative campaigning.
Organized efforts toward goals
- electionsFormal choosing of officials
- primariesIntraparty nomination contests
- candidatesThose seeking selection
- votersThose who cast ballots
electorate · swing voters · battleground states · political consultants · opposition · negative campaigning · PACs · super PACs
Causing false beliefs
- disinformationIntentional deceptive falsehoods
- misinformationFalse data spread unintentionally
- misrepresentDepict inaccurately or falsely
- distortedMisshapen from original form
skewed · disingenuous · deceptive · manipulation · underhanded · unethical · duplicitous · trickery
Inquiries suggesting expected answers
- agenda settingControlling public discourse priorities
- voter suppressionTactics discouraging ballot access
- attack adsNegative campaign commercials
- whisper campaignsOrganized covert defamation efforts
opposition research · astroturfing · front groups · wedge issues · dog whistles · talking points · spin · mudslinging
Formal inquiry form
- respondentsThose who answer queries
- robocallsAutomated mass phone solicitations
- call centersTelephone-based service facilities
- scriptsWritten texts for performances
sample size · phone banking · canvassing · targeting · microtargeting · survey design · screening questions · response rates
Rules governing voting processes
- campaign financeMoney raised for elections
- ethics violationsBreaches of professional standards
- cease and desistLegal order to stop
- state regulationsLaws enacted by states
enforcement · penalties · accountability · transparency · reform
campaigns
Organized efforts toward goals
- electionsFormal choosing of officials
- primariesIntraparty nomination contests
- candidatesThose seeking selection
voters · electorate · swing voters · battleground states · political consultants · opposition · negative campaigning · PACs · super PACs · dark money
misleading
Causing false beliefs
- disinformationIntentional deceptive falsehoods
- misinformationFalse data spread unintentionally
- misrepresentDepict inaccurately or falsely
distorted · skewed · disingenuous · deceptive · manipulation · underhanded · unethical · duplicitous · trickery · disguised
leading questions
Inquiries suggesting expected answers
- agenda settingControlling public discourse priorities
- voter suppressionTactics discouraging ballot access
- attack adsNegative campaign commercials
whisper campaigns · opposition research · astroturfing · front groups · wedge issues · dog whistles · talking points · spin · mudslinging · character assassination
questionnaire
Formal inquiry form
- respondentsThose who answer queries
- robocallsAutomated mass phone solicitations
- call centersTelephone-based service facilities
scripts · sample size · phone banking · canvassing · targeting · microtargeting · survey design · screening questions · response rates · caller ID spoofing
election law
Rules governing voting processes
- campaign financeMoney raised for elections
- ethics violationsBreaches of professional standards
- cease and desistLegal order to stop
state regulations · enforcement · penalties · accountability · transparency · reform
- campaigningcandidate, campaign signs, canvassing, campaign manager, fundraising
- surveyssurvey, surveys, questionnaire, questionnaires, census
- phone surveyscall centers, call center, respondent, interviewers, interviewer
- smear tacticssmear, smear campaign, mudslinging, attack ads, hit piece
push, poll, pushed, pushes, pushing, pusher, pushers, polls, polled