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To: SALChamps03
I am skeptical to say the least. Sample size is everything. I don't believe the poll can be accurate with numbers that small.

Take elementary college statistics, my numbers are correct. The real art is, of course, finding a representative sample. But if you are able to do that, you'd be surprised at how few respondents you need to get an answer with a high degree of certainty.

116 posted on 09/13/2005 4:59:22 AM PDT by Alter Kaker (Whatever tears one may shed, in the end one always blows one’s nose.-Heine)
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To: Alter Kaker
I have taken classes related to statistics in college. I view this idea of using a small sample size and having it be an accurate representation as a theory. It can never be prov-en, because you do not know what those who were not asked would say. The larger the sample size, the more likely you will get an accurate representation of prevailing opinion. 10% of the population is the standard benchmark. I just don't believe that the opinion of 100 or even 1000 people can accurately represent the opinion of 290,000,000 Americans.

Of course, it isn't feasible to poll 290,000,000 Americans, or even 29,000,000. Therefore, I take all poll results with a grain of salt. They may or may not be accurate.

118 posted on 09/13/2005 6:43:22 PM PDT by SALChamps03
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