From straw polls of the 19th century to modern polling of today, polls have played a significant role in the American political landscape. But what is a poll? With dozens of new polls coming out every week, how can we make sense of the data onslaught? Is there a way to reduce the confusion? And what role can polls play in 2016, an election year fraught with drama and uncertainty?

In episode eight of “Politics & Polls,” professors Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang talk all about polls: what they are, whether to trust them and some simple tricks to reduce confusion in a dense media environment. Podcast Here; All Episodes Here