Polling ‘misses’ – can Q-methodology help? A case study of the Seanad referendum

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dc.contributor.authorListon, Vanessa
dc.contributor.authorHarris, Clodagh
dc.date.accessioned2020-05-25T11:57:23Z
dc.date.available2020-05-25T11:57:23Z
dc.date.issued2018-03-15
dc.description.abstractAccurate information on public opinion is a necessary condition for the effective functioning of democracies. For Lasswell, the open interplay of public opinion with policy is the ‘distinguishing mark of popular rule’ [Lasswell, H. D. (1941). Democracy through public opinion. Menasha, WI: Banta]. Yet, despite its importance, there is a distinct gap in methods and tools to understand large volumes of public opinion statements on any issue. The 2013 referendum in Ireland on the abolition of the Seanad (Senate) was a prominent example of this gap. Opinion polls were perceived as misleading in suggesting that the referendum was going to pass. Aiming to address opinion noise, and the polarity suggested by opinion polls, we conducted an online study of subjectivity in the week before polling. Using Q-methodology and the stream of public opinion generated during the campaign, we identified three main perspectives on the issue of Seanad abolition. One perspective was in favour of abolition, two opposed the proposal. We conclude that Q-methodology could be used to support opinion polling and political communication by providing a supporting context of the range of social perspectives on the issue at hand.en
dc.description.statusPeer revieweden
dc.description.versionAccepted Versionen
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdfen
dc.identifier.citationListon, V. and Harris, C. (2018) 'Polling 'misses' - can Q-methodology help? A case study of the Seanad referendum'. Irish Political Studies, 33 (4), pp. 544-568. doi: 10.1080/07907184.2018.1439927en
dc.identifier.doi10.1080/07907184.2018.1439927en
dc.identifier.eissn1743-9078
dc.identifier.endpage568en
dc.identifier.issn0790-7184
dc.identifier.issued4en
dc.identifier.journaltitleIrish Political Studiesen
dc.identifier.startpage544en
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10468/10040
dc.identifier.volume33en
dc.language.isoenen
dc.publisherTaylor & Francisen
dc.relation.urihttp://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/07907184.2018.1439927
dc.rights© 2015 Political Studies Association of Ireland. This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Irish Political Studies on 15 March 2018 available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/07907184.2018.1439927en
dc.subjectPublic opinionen
dc.subjectSeanad referendumen
dc.subjectQ-methodologyen
dc.subjectPollingen
dc.titlePolling ‘misses’ – can Q-methodology help? A case study of the Seanad referendumen
dc.typeArticle (peer-reviewed)en
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