THE FIRST STRAW? A STUDY OF THE ORIGINS OF ELECTION POLLS

Proto-straw polls appeared in the presidential election of 1824.These precursors to modern election polls originated out ofa combination of short-term political changes associated withthe end of the first American party system in general and thedemise of the congressional caucus system of nomination in particularand long-term developments associated with growing democratization,centralization, and quantification.