The impact of preelection surveys on the result of parliamentary election: Czech 2010 case

The bachelor's thesis called "Role and influence of pre-election polls on the results of Czech legislative election 2010" focuses on the role of the pre-election polls in the period of time before the Czech legislative election in 2010. The results of the election were described as surprising or breakthrough and the pre-election polls were criticised for inaccuracy. In connection with their impact on the election several complaints on incorrect influence of the polls emerged. The first chapter presents types of pre-election polls in the Czech Republic and the second chapter focuses on confrontation of the pre-election polls with the election results - all from a theoretical point of view. The next part of the thesis concentrates on actual 2010 pre-election polls and includes a comparison of the pre-election polls with the election results as well as a description of research practices of public opinion agencies. The last chapter elucidates the reasons of the pre-election polls inaccuracy and analyzes possible influence of pre-election surveys on the election results. The outcome of the thesis is an analysis of 2010 pre-election polls in the Czech Republic and a description of various factors that caused differences between the pre-election poll results and the actual election results