Polled Out

As they probe, prod, tickle and test opinion, the pollsters never run out of questions about American political choices, product preferences and psychological hang-ups. But what do the people think about the pollsters? Inevitably, the Gallup poll took a poll — and discovered that 15% of the respondents had participated in earlier public surveys and that 67% felt that the country would be better off if national leaders heeded the polls' results. Alas, those results may be harder to get in the future.

Officials at Gallup and other orga nizations are growing worried that many Americans are simply refusing to answer survey takers' questions when the bell rings. Says California Pollster Mervin Field: "Twenty years ago we could count on getting 85% [of a selected sample] with reasonable effort. Now we're hard-pressed to get 60%."

Are Americans simply polled out?

Have they become mistrustful of being prodded for their private opinions by census takers, market researchers — and pollsters? People may be finding it too anxiety producing to give any answer at all, especially in times like these, when there is rarely a "right" answer.