Great questions. Very comprehensive. I would like to see questions regarding if Americans are willing to sacrifice to reduce the budget deficit, improve health care, and improve education.
A) I'd like to see the right/wrong track question include the option to answer “off the rails” to be followed up by the ‘in what way question’ you have listed in your post. This addresses the “assumes a fact not in evidence” objection to the original binary choice. My version still doesn't address the case of the answer from a Californian or other blue state: do you answer regarding the state government or the federal government.
B) I'd like to see more in questions of the form: Ask>log answer>provide pro/con arguments/data >Ask again>log new answer.
I suggest the issue of how to finance infrastructure for energy-intensive data centers is an issue that is not well understood by the grassroots voter. That's a good place to test how easily opinion can be changed by more info presented neutrally or not.
In the end, the fact of all polls are, the answers are not based on fact nor reality. The first suggestion to base a conversation on the questions is a good one. I’m starting to see polls as pretty much worthless. In a short amount of time they are out dated. Even if those who answers them think they are being honest, if they are a partisan their “honesty” is based mostly on the narrative of the party they support. Each side could publish a book on their reality, they could call it, Grimm’s Political Fairytales.
Love the questions. Thanks for compiling. The one about voting in the primary could be misleading. My state has a closed primary election. Because I am not registered to any political party, I am not allowed to vote, even though I may want to. To vote, I would have to change my voter registration.
To be clear this are just the questions in raw form, not a final survey. Not all of these will get asked, we will pick and choose from them as the year progresses
Dusting off my questionnaire design hat ... how about:
- Will you do anything to celebrate the 250th?
- Is America's 250 year history worth celebrating?
- How proud are you of America's 250 year history?
Potentially way more interesting to ask open-ends:
- When you think about America's 250 year history, what words come to mind?
- What aspects of America's 250 year history makes it most successful?
- What aspects of America's 250 year history makes it most bad (reword)?
You could ask something like 'which of America's founding ideals are most realized today' ... maybe best paired with civics type questions (bets on how many people can name a framer or declaration signer?).
Also if you go this route, have fun working 'semiquincentennial' somewhere in the survey :).
Good idea Soubhik! I think there are complementary "world history" questions that would refine views of how history shapes views and present day actions.
Thanks for probing; thanks for sharing; thanks for providing an island of common sense in a sea of untethered noise. To say it is imperative to have sources of insight such as you provide is understatement of oceanic proportions.
Great list! Every voter should have to read this list of questions and discuss their answers as a way of making themselves and others more informed about their voting choices.
I hope the question on data center costs points out that state and local gov't is also "(taxpayers)".
Good questions and well designed.
Nice work!
Great questions. Very comprehensive. I would like to see questions regarding if Americans are willing to sacrifice to reduce the budget deficit, improve health care, and improve education.
A) I'd like to see the right/wrong track question include the option to answer “off the rails” to be followed up by the ‘in what way question’ you have listed in your post. This addresses the “assumes a fact not in evidence” objection to the original binary choice. My version still doesn't address the case of the answer from a Californian or other blue state: do you answer regarding the state government or the federal government.
B) I'd like to see more in questions of the form: Ask>log answer>provide pro/con arguments/data >Ask again>log new answer.
I suggest the issue of how to finance infrastructure for energy-intensive data centers is an issue that is not well understood by the grassroots voter. That's a good place to test how easily opinion can be changed by more info presented neutrally or not.
In the end, the fact of all polls are, the answers are not based on fact nor reality. The first suggestion to base a conversation on the questions is a good one. I’m starting to see polls as pretty much worthless. In a short amount of time they are out dated. Even if those who answers them think they are being honest, if they are a partisan their “honesty” is based mostly on the narrative of the party they support. Each side could publish a book on their reality, they could call it, Grimm’s Political Fairytales.
Love the questions. Thanks for compiling. The one about voting in the primary could be misleading. My state has a closed primary election. Because I am not registered to any political party, I am not allowed to vote, even though I may want to. To vote, I would have to change my voter registration.
Love this.
Great questions!
Jeez, that’s a long survey. Who’s even going to agree to answer all the questions?
To be clear this are just the questions in raw form, not a final survey. Not all of these will get asked, we will pick and choose from them as the year progresses
Questions show the power of crowdsourcing and diversity!
Appreciated the "raw" presentation of questions and categorization. Looking forward to the polls you elect to run.
Any plans or reader appetite for “America 250” questions, e.g. retrospecting on America’s founding, development, etc?
Give me some ideas!
Dusting off my questionnaire design hat ... how about:
- Will you do anything to celebrate the 250th?
- Is America's 250 year history worth celebrating?
- How proud are you of America's 250 year history?
Potentially way more interesting to ask open-ends:
- When you think about America's 250 year history, what words come to mind?
- What aspects of America's 250 year history makes it most successful?
- What aspects of America's 250 year history makes it most bad (reword)?
You could ask something like 'which of America's founding ideals are most realized today' ... maybe best paired with civics type questions (bets on how many people can name a framer or declaration signer?).
Also if you go this route, have fun working 'semiquincentennial' somewhere in the survey :).
Good idea Soubhik! I think there are complementary "world history" questions that would refine views of how history shapes views and present day actions.
Thanks for probing; thanks for sharing; thanks for providing an island of common sense in a sea of untethered noise. To say it is imperative to have sources of insight such as you provide is understatement of oceanic proportions.
Wow, what a boat load of questions. Good work on your part and of all those who sent questions in.
Great list! Every voter should have to read this list of questions and discuss their answers as a way of making themselves and others more informed about their voting choices.