Public opinion poll is a survey that attempts to find out the attitudes, beliefs, or opinions of a large number of people. The population covered by a poll may include millions of individuals. But only a small number of them are actually questioned. If the people who are questioned have been properly chosen, their opinions will usually reflect those of the entire group. Public opinion polls may be conducted through personal interviews, by telephone, by mail, or over the Internet. People who conduct polls are sometimes called pollsters.
Public opinion polls ask a wide variety of questions. For example, a poll before an election may ask people whom they plan to vote for and why. Other polls may ask people if they plan to buy a new car, how they feel about their work, or whether they use certain government services. Polls are conducted throughout the world. But they are most frequently used in developed countries with democratic governments.
