[PEN-L:28153] Re: big biz vs. big govt

[Doug Henwood <dhenwood@xxxxxxxxx>]

Jurriaan Bendien wrote:

> I used to design survey questionnaires for a job once. You should
> start off by inquiring into the survey methodology. Anybody can
> manufacture a certain public opinion. Let's not get trapped in
> categories which may not reveal what people really think.  Threats
> for whom ? For the respondent ? For others ? For the country ? For
> the world ?  A great deal depends on question-wording.

No kidding. Which is why Gallup reported the wording of the question,
and which is why I also did. It's: "In your opinion which of the
following will be the biggest threat to the country in the future --
big business, big labor, or big government?" The question has been
asked the same way since 1965. And it seems designed to elicit broad
prejudices, bedrock fantasies, rather than complex, nuanced analyses.

Doug