From The Conversation:
These horse-race presidential polls – in which candidates' current electoral prospects are estimated scientifically – are an ever-present backdrop in election coverage nowadays…. It’s hard to imagine a presidential election season without polls. But the very first scientific horse race poll, which took place 80 years ago, was shrouded in secrecy and may have changed history – even though it was faulty…. Edwin Amenta is a professor of sociology at University of California, Irvine.

For the full story, please visit http://theconversation.com/how-the-first-horse-race-poll-changed-american-political-history-43164.