A '''public opinion poll''' is a survey of attitudes from a particular sample of the population at interest. Opinion polls represent the opinions of the total population by asking a sample of size N, where N is large enough for reliable results (usually expressed as a 95% confidence of +/- Z%. For most polls, N = 400 to 1000 people. | A '''public opinion poll''' is a survey of attitudes from a particular sample of the population at interest. Opinion polls represent the opinions of the total population by asking a sample of size N, where N is large enough for reliable results (usually expressed as a 95% confidence of +/- Z%. For most polls, N = 400 to 1000 people. |