Snyder Loses Support After Passing Right-to-Work Legislation

1) The survey was conducted by Public Policy Polling

3020 Highwoods Blvd. 

Raleigh, NC 27604

Phone: 888 621-6988

Web:  www.publicpolicypolling.com

2) There appears to be no sponsor for this research; the "poll was not paid for or authorized by any campaign or political organization. PPP surveys are conducted through automated telephone interviews" (Public Policy Polling).

3) No, since there is not a sponsor there would not be a bias in the study and thereby slanting the results. It appears that Public Policy Polling is a neutral organization that is simply interested in collecting data and publishing it.

4) The PPP surveyed 650 Michigan voters from December 13th to 16th. The margin of error is +/- 3.8 percentage points. The control group The poll is a cross comparison between Governor Rick Snyder and then a variant Democratic candidate, attributing Snyder as the control variable.  The same size is 650 Michigan voters from December 13-16th.  The polling appears to be at random, since it was conducted through automated telephone interviews.  At the beginning of the results the organization provides a disclaimer:  "IF YOU HAVE BASIC METHODOLOGICAL QUESTIONS, PLEASE E-MAIL information@publicpolicypolling.com, OR CONSULT THE FINAL PARAGRAPH OF THE PRESS RELEASE" (Public Policy Polling).

5) Yes, the results are communicated in a clear, informative manner: the headline of the study allows the reader to assume the results of the survey and in the body of the findings the organization provides the direct numerical results, the comparison of Snyder's popularity with that of a Democratic candidate's.

6) Yes, there are charts for each polling question that represent the findings in an easy to read, informative manner.  The charts are called: Crosstabs.

Reference

Josh Hicks.  Did Michigan lawmakers ram through ‘right to work’ laws? The Washington Post. December 20, 2012.  http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/post/did-michigan-lawmakers-ram-through-right-to-work-laws/2012/12/19/a87d8e60-47c9-11e2-b6f0-e851e741d196_blog.html

Public Policy Polling: http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/pdf/2011/PPP_Release_MI_1218.pdf