There is no assumption by either the client or the polling organisation that these polls will be used in a fair manner. For instance, details of poll outcomes are usually only leaked into the public domain when it suits the client. The political significance of this sort of activity varies depending on how astutely the information that has been gathered is used. The crucial point is that this sort of polling is designed to gain political advantage. Therefore, when these polls are released, they need to be treated with a high degree of caution, recognising that their aim is to further the specific interests of a political actor.
Some polls do influence political decision making.
This tends to be rare, however, and most polls do not influence the implementation of policy. Political actors would like to be able to manipulate opinion polls. Their capacity to do so is restricted by the fact that the most widely publicised opinion polls are undertaken by independent polling organisations whose reputations are based on their impartiality. The role of opinion polls varies depending on their type. It is therefore important to identify whether an opinion poll has been undertaken by an independent organisation or has been privately commissioned.