Presidential Address: The Future Is Here!: Where Are We Now? and How Do We Get There?

Abstract

I attended my first American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) conference in 1978, when we were but a fraction of our current size. Over the years I have developed a deep identification with, and great affection for AAPOR. I have always appreciated our culture of openness, sharing of information, and sense of community. I want to thank you for allowing me the opportunity to serve as president this past year. While I truly believe that service is its own reward, I have no doubt benefited greatly and grown from my experience in office. Coming from an academic background, I now have a more fully rounded perspective of opinion research as a profession and an industry. The president of AAPOR is afforded many opportunities: to travel, to educate, to speak for the association, and to learn. One of those I enjoyed this past year was to participate in a conference on “The Crisis of Polling,” organized by Larry Jacobs of the University of Minnesota.1 Rob Daves at the Minneapolis Star-Tribune and my successor as president, arranged my participation, and I remember writing him a private e-mail meant to be humorous. It went something like, “Rob, I’m president of AAPOR and no one told me there was a crisis. Is there something I should know about?”