For the first time, David W. Moore—praised as a "scholarly crusader" by the New York Times—reveals that pollsters don't report public opinion, they manufacture it. And they do so at the peril of our democratic process. While critics cry foul over partisan favoritism in the mainstream media, what's really at work is a power bias that polls legitimate by providing the stamp of public approval.

David W. Moore pulls back the curtain on a polling industry that serves sound bites above all-and on the sometimes disastrous consequences. In this highly critical book, he reveals illusory public support on issues ranging from war and torture to creationism. Breaking down the manipulated horse-race numbers of our most recent presidential campaign season, Moore shows how pre-election polls concealed rampant voter indecision. He ends with ways to make pollsters deliver on their promise to monitor the pulse of democracy, including recognizing the growing importance of cell phones and Internet polling.