The reason the Literary Digest's 1936 election poll was so inaccurate, was that
A) the sample was too small
B) it contained sampling error
C) the sample was biased
D) the wrong statistical tests were employed for extrapolating to the

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The sample used by the Literary Digest was biased since it consisted of telephone and automobile owners, who were more likely to be affluent and Republican. This led to an overrepresentation of Republican voters in the sample and a significant underrepresentation of Democratic voters, which resulted in an inaccurate prediction of the election outcome.

The Reason the Literary Digest's 1936 Election Poll Was So