History
Public Opinion Polling Methodologies and Their Limitations
Quick fact
The famous 1936 Literary Digest poll predicted Alf Landon would crush Franklin Roosevelt, but the opposite happened because the poll's sample was biased toward wealthy voters who owned telephones and cars.
Why this is interesting
You've probably seen headlines like 'Candidate X leads by 5 points!' But what if that lead is actually just a statistical mirage? How can a tiny group of people represent millions?