Bradley effect Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Bradley effect - Assignment Example He lost to Republican George Deukmejian.† (CNN) Some researchers believe that the Bradley effect is just an attempt to come up with an excuse for the inaccurate results of flawed opinion polling practices (Keeler, Scott and Nilanthi Samaranayake 2007). There have been several explanations given as the cause of these polling errors, but it is generally believed that some voters, due to societal pressure, are not very forthcoming in their answers during the pre-election polls. It is believed that some white voters are concerned about being labeled as racially prejudiced, and so do not fully declare their support for white candidates in the polls before the actual elections. â€Å"A recent study found that the possibility of the Bradley effect, while the last finding suggested the possibility of a "reverse" Bradley effect in which black voters might have been reluctant to declare to pollsters their support for Obama or are under polled.† (North Carolina Statewide Survey Res earch Report 2008) President Barack Obama did not really suffer this phenomenon in the presidential elections because although this issue is something to be concerned about, it clearly is not as serious an issue as it was in the 1980s. It is notable that both racial attitudes and polling techniques have undergone a lot of change since the Bradley effect was first noticed.