Part 1 Introduction: election polling and democracy, Paul J. Lavrakas, Michael W. Traugott. Part 2 The use of election polls in 1996: the continuing evolution in the use of public opinion polls by The New York Times - the 1996 presidential election experience; a review of the 1996 Voter News Service exit polls using a total survey error perspective, Daniel M. Merkle, Murray Edelman; deliberative polling in the 1996 elections, Vincent Price; the hidden value in combining election polling and public journalism, Philip Meyer, Deborah Potter; mixing literacy journalism and precision journalism in coverage of the 1996 presidential election, Gerald M. Kosicki and Paul J. Lavrakas. Part 3 The methods of election polls: how to model the probably electorate in preelection polls, Robert P. Daves; improving election forecasting - allocation of undecideds, identifying likely voters, and response order effects, Penny S. Visser et al. Part 4 Election poll effects: public attention to election polls - the 1996 experience, Michael W. Traugott, Mee-Eun Kang; the use of casual attribution in election poll news stories, Sandra L. Bauman, Paul J. Lavrakas; did public opinion support the contract with America? Michael Traugott, Elizabeth C. Powers; politics, polls, and poltergeists - a review of 1996 election surveying, Leo Bogart. Part 5 Conclusion: election polling and democracy in the 21st century, Paul J. Lavrakas, Michael W. Traugott.
