of person has an equal chance of having their views captured. Polls of volunteers would violate this principle since not everyone would have had an equal chance of being included. (See Why probability sampling for more information.) And more specifically, the kinds of people who might volunteer for our polls are likely to be very different from the average American -- at the least they would probably be more politically interested and engaged. Why don't your surveys ever reflect the opinions of people I know? Chances are you don't hang out with a group of friends that represents everyone in America. Your friends, coworkers and family are probably like you in many ways. If you were to have a group of friends that represents all of the country, you would have acquaintances who are black, white, Asian, rich, poor, Muslim, Catholic, from the South, Northeast, etc., or any combination of those attributes. Few of us are lucky to have such a diverse group of friends. Why should I participate in surveys? You should participate in surveys for many reasons. Polls are a way for you to express your opinions to the nation's leaders and the country as a whole. Public officials and other leaders pay attention to the results of polls and often take them into account in their decision-making. If certain kinds of people do not participate in the surveys, then the results won't represent the full range of opinions in the nation. What good are polls? Polls seek