Poll Hub

The latest NYTimes/Siena Poll has been getting a lot of attention, but not all the good kind. Plenty of Democrats are upset about what it shows and how the Times covered it. Others used the numbers to bolster arguments about Biden's age or Trump's electability.

But, we argue the REAL problem is the poll's methodology itself. It's a novel way of trying to solve issues that plague polling but it's an experiment with no control group and it's reported as gospel...

Then, we relax as Lee returns for his Fun Fact from 1939 -- and it takes an unexpected twist!

Online dating has been around for nearly 30 years, but what is it like today? We're looking at data showing how, who, and why Americans are online dating. Are there plenty of fish in the online sea?

Next, the opioid crisis has nearly vanished from the headlines, but it's deadlier than ever. One solution is the life-saving drug Narcan that can stop overdoses, and Americans support making it widely available. So why isn't it?

We finish we our fun fact: As the days get longer, the weather gets warmer, and allergy season kicks off, what is your favorite things about spring? This week's fun fact is getting ready to give winter the boot!

In its first year, the RSV vaccine has had what appears to be fairly low vaccination rates, but its appearances may be deceiving. Dr. William Schaffner from Vanderbilt College School of Medicine joins to help answer how the pandemic has affected confidence in vaccines.

Then, new data shows Gen Z is going to bed early, eating dinner early, and listening to more jazz. Are they young people who are old at heart? We have two of our own Gen Z students join us to get to the bottom of it.

What is the best pizza topping? Who knew a simple fun fact could be so controversial!

In our latest poll, we asked Americans how they feel about race relations and DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) efforts in education and business. As part of our recognition of Black History Month, Marist's VP of DEI, Dr. Edward Antonio, is here to talk about it from an "inside" perspective.

Then, a fun fact that might leave you craving delivery. What is the best takeout food?

Our latest poll w/NPR and the PBS NewsHour looks at the numbers on Biden, Trump, Congress, and big 2024 election issues. We're looking deep into the crosstabs!

Next, the field of polling has gained some new techniques, lost some old ones, and is paving the way to a new era of polling. Our guest, CNN's Ariel Edwards-Levy, joins us to discuss what has changed in polling, what's working, and what's not.

We finish with a fun fact for the moment: Are you Team Super Bowl or Team Valentine's Day?

Punxsutawney Phil has been predicting the weather since the 1800s. That's a long track record and our team is looking back at his history to see just how accurate the weatherman groundhog really is...and how he compares with other animal prognosticators!

Next, it's been a terrible couple of weeks for journalism with multiple layoffs and closures across big and small outlets. Ad revenue is the main issue, but it doesn't help that Americans' opinions of the profession has fallen. We're looking at polling data that compares the attitudes about the media of all Americans with those of journalists themselves. Marist's Dr. Kevin Lerner joins to help us sort through it all.

We finish with this: Which animal is most intelligent? The results of this poll leave dog and cat lovers at odds...as usual!

With Trump's wins in New Hampshire and Iowa, is the GOP nomination sewn up? Nikki Haley doesn't think so but, based on polling in the next primary states -- AND data from the exit polls, it's hard to see any other end game for her than "game over."

Then, 34 of our very own Marist students travelled with us to the New Hampshire primary to experience retail politics firsthand. Three of them join us to discuss what they saw, what they learned, and what surprised them most.

And, we finish with this: Will bagels, pizza, or hamburgers be around in the next century? This fun fact will hopefully stand the test of time.

Trump swept the GOP field in Iowa and now it's on to famously contrarian New Hampshire. Some polls suggest Nikki Haley might take a big bite out of the MAGA momentum but what does our brand new survey of New Hampshire voters tell us?

Finally, do you believe in ghosts or UFOS? How about Bigfoot? This week's fun fact is all about the unbelievable.

A new class of weight loss drugs have the potential to dramatically improve the health of hundreds of millions of obese and overweight people. But they're costly, require forever use, and do not have long track records of safety. What do Americans think of these new drugs?

Then, pollsters often ask Americans who they're going to vote for. Some also ask about candidates and babysitting or bungee jumping. Really! Are pollster's alternative questions another way to find out support?

Finally, we end with a fun fact that'll have you questioning what you're willing to give up for a whole year!

New year, new attitude? Apparently, not according to our latest poll showing Americans head into 2024 as pessimistic as we've ever seen them. Why so bummed, especially with a historically great economy? We have some thoughts.

Then, we ask if that sour mood will impact the 2024 election, which is well under way. What things are we going to be watching this year to better understand what happens in November?

Finally, the team breaks down their rather interesting New Years resolutions and look at an almost 100-year-old trend. Spoiler alert: It involves green grapes.

We had Poll an amazing 2023 filled with incredible guests, interesting (to us!) topics, and some crazy fun facts. What many people may not realize is also how our student producers transformed Poll Hub in this, our sixth, season.

To celebrate, the team is reminiscing on our most memorable moments and listening back to clips.

And, we end with one last fun fact for 2023. Would you rather head into an adventure with James Bond or Sherlock Holmes? What about Harry Potter or Lara Croft?

Our new poll with NPR and the PBS NewsHour goes deep into a bunch of issues, that in any normal presidential election year, would be getting a lot of attention: abortion, EVs, entitlement programs, funding wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, immigration, and more. But this isn't a normal election year...

Next, we're discussing new research on women in the workforce with Dr. Kristin Bayer, Chair of the History Department and the Director of the Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program here at Marist.

And, just in time for Christmas, we have an extra fun fact. Is Santa a classical fan, an easy music listener, or a punk rocker?

Is marijuana public opinion changing? New York state has announced the opening of new dispensaries after several lawsuits, but does this show progress in approval nationwide?

Are standardized tests like the SATs becoming unnecessary in higher education? We have expert Cathy Engstrom on to discuss what the future holds for test requirements.

Finally, we end with a holiday fun fact for our Christmas lovers. What is your favorite part of the season?

Has the pandemic changed office attire for good? Data shows that dressing for the workplace has gotten much more casual, but not for everyone. There are gender and generational gaps. But, the business suit is, for all intents and purposes, mainly gone.

Then, do Americans value friendship? For several decades, some research has shown we've been steadily losing our social connections, but a new Pew Poll suggests something different. Most of us have a LOT of "close" friends.

And, we finish with a very odd question about the movies. It pits Disney against 007. Lee has a great explanation for the seemingly strange results.

Has the quality of life in New York gone down? Our latest New York State poll asks the question. How are the leaders of New York holding up? Are Hochul, Santos, Adams, and other politicians holding up to New Yorker's standards?

This week's episode ends on a special 'tis-the-season fun fact that will have you debating turkey or stuffing.

What's behind the interesting numbers we found on a growing isolationism in light of wars in Israel and Ukraine? We explore that, what Americans think of using government shutdowns as political weapons, and a growing belief that politicians -- not the system -- that's the problem with our politics.

Next we head back to a segment from a February episode about what, at the time, seemed like a new reality of out-of-control tipping. New data has been released and we're revisiting the topic of tipping.

And we finish with a fun fact that explores reincarnation! What animal would you want to be?

AI now has the ability to write convincing spam emails, mimic human voices, create false images and even videos. Have we entered a scary science fiction movie come to life?

Next, autonomous vehicles -- think driverless taxis -- are becoming more common in some cities, but do Americans really trust them? Timothy B. Lee from the Understanding AI newsletter joins us to discuss the implications of AI in vehicles.

And, we finish with the week's fun fact jumping back in time to see what people of the 60s thought about changes in technology. Were they scared or excited for the future we're now living in?

On October 25th, the deadliest shooting in Maine occurred in Lewiston. Since the attack, Maine politicians have been put in the hot seat over their opposition to gun control measures including an assault weapon ban. And one of them did shift his position. Is it the beginning of a change, or just an aberration in our never-changing, stalled debate on America's mass shooting epidemic?

Can a difference in a degree really shorten your life? New research looks at the difference between the life expectancies of those with college degrees and those without. The gap is shocking... and growing. One of the study's authors, Sir Angus Deaton, joins to break down what this says about our society and what it could mean for the future. See more on the research here.

We end with cryptids. What? Spooky animals unbeknownst to science, but very big in popular culture. Which is the best? This creepy fun fact crowns a cryptid.

More Americans than every fear crime is going up. But it's not. In fact, it's historically very low and, in most categories, fell quite a bit in 2022. Why the disconnect? We're digging into the data to see if Americans are equating crime with feelings of safety.

Then, in today’s job market, getting that first post-grad gig can be easier said than done. Many believe internships are a big plus and, while some data backs up that notion, does it therefore follow that colleges should require them? The Director of Marist College's Center for Civic Engagement and Learning, Dr. Melissa Gaeke, explains why this might not benefit all students.

And, we finish with our fun fact that asks a sort of weird question: what is your least favorite holiday? The answers may spook you!

Third party candidates have a mixed history of swaying elections towards one candidate over another. Ross Perot and Jill Stein are fairly recent examples of candidates who may have swung elections but is RFK Jr. in their league? Our new polling with NPR and the PBS NewsHour suggests he might be, but not necessarily in the way you might think.

Then, luck of the lotto has a strong appeal for many Americans, especially with the proliferation of billion-dollar jackpots. How have we gone from no state lotteries in 1973 to massive multi-state games 50 years later? And, what's the difference between what Americans say they would do if they won, and what happens to many actual winners?

This week's fun fact debates an American staple... peanut butter!