Scopes and Limits of Public Opinion Polls in Electoral Processes

Abstract

Currently, it´s not possible to think of an electoral process without previously consulting the citizens to know their opinion about the candidates and the campaigns, and to guess how they will manifest their preferences at the polls. The opinion of the citizenship has become a very important player as parties and the media. Besides, its power to change strategies, push decisions and set agendas is increasingly apparent. This article is a tour of some of its definitions and assumptions that accompany them as a pretext to propose a reflection on its scope and its limits as a manifestation of political participation.