Economist World Traveler, Political Sciences Political Discourse Risks Strategist, Researcher and Author Çiğdem Yorgancıoğlu — CHI CI TALKS – KOMPOZE Two Economists in Conversation program this week made statements about the interview with Perlego Research Founding President, Researcher Taner Gönç about public opinion polls in Turkey. You can access the explanations and interview videos here.
In Turkey, with 61,441,882 eligible voters, the local government elections held on March 31, 2024, saw a nationwide turnout of 78%, where mayors, metropolitan mayors, municipal council members, provincial council members, muhtars, and elders were elected in 1393 municipalities determined by Local Governments. In the context of local elections, the Republican People’s Party (CHP) regained its position as the leading party for the first time since the 1977 local elections, based on its vote share. CHP won the elections in 14 metropolitan municipalities, including the capital Ankara and the largest city, Istanbul. The agenda is currently quite heated. Understanding the dynamics of public opinion research, which is an important element of politics and elections, while staying outside the polemics of politics, is equally crucial within this heated agenda. Because all strategies, including future considerations, will focus on reviewing the implications of the election results through this heated agenda. This applies to all parties. At this point, regardless of their position on the political spectrum, CHI CI TALKS presents a perspective that is neutral towards all parties and their supporting voters, inclusive, and evaluates humanity from a supra-party perspective, respecting the will of the people expressed at the ballot box. Economist World Voyager, Political Science Researcher and Writer Çiğdem Yorgancıoğlu — on CHI CI TALKS – KOMPOZE, in our program “Two Economists Conversing,” this week our guest, our friend, the Founder President of Perlego Research, Researcher Taner Gönç, discussed the general landscape of public opinion research in Turkey, including survey designs, sample selections, researcher responsibilities, principles, research ethics, scaling qualitative data, the original ASIS index and variables of Geographic Analysis Segmentation, as well as the contributions of nuanced analyses in public opinion surveys to multidimensional research and future strategies for subsequent elections, with an unbiased perspective hosted by KOMPOZE DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOPS. We aimed to inform and raise awareness about Public Opinion Research to society, avoiding exclusionary attitudes and opening the way for insights into technical methods.
Gönç’s 30 years of knowledge and experience, along with his team, shed light on the intricacies of achieving accurate results in public opinion research and how they operate, including the mechanisms behind their effective solutions in terms of accuracy. We delved deeply into the acquisition and evaluation of data such as sample selection, quota allocation, and ultimately the demographics of the individuals interviewed, which are crucial in determining voter political attitudes, behavior, and preferences. These demographics include age distribution, average household income, socio-economic status, total household size, number of rooms in the residence, gender distribution, demographic data, marital status, position on the political spectrum, profession, gender, employment status, retirement status, income, and more.
Visionary leaders who continuously seek new ways and methods to enhance their strategies for greater efficiency and sustainability, without missing the necessities of rapidly evolving change, are discussed. Understanding how the impact of strategic voter behavior can be measured with ethical and objective criteria, and incorporating innovations such as perspectives and techniques that allow for the identification of unseen areas influencing voter decisions, while also considering their limitations, is crucial for shaping future strategies.
Incorporating such innovations and perspectives into research undoubtedly raises the quality bar of the resulting information. You can follow the two-part program where some of the key points of public opinion research, providing interdisciplinary insights, are dissected from here.
The third university I chose to attend – Istanbul University, Department of Political Science and International Relations – reflects my preference for focusing on the elements of political socialization, direct and indirect participation in politics, which I enjoy researching. My interest lies in comprehensively understanding the cognitive and behavioral dynamics of individuals and society, and monitoring their development in these two areas, ultimately contributing scientifically when competent. In this regard, grasping the elements of political participation and incorporating discussions and exchanges of knowledge and experiences from various perspectives on public opinion research into my program was important to me. I wish you all a pleasant viewing, and extend my thanks to those involved in the production, while also acknowledging the importance of not reducing political participation solely to electoral activities. Çiğdem Yorgancıoğlu CHI CI TALKS
