What Do Surveys Survey?

The beloved Charles M. Blow is holding forth on the Walter Scott case, which one would expect that he should. I’m not going to say whether I agree or disagree with today’s column (those of  you who’ve been watching closely can imagine). But I would like to discuss a source that he (graphically supported by the NY Times) uses to help make his finely honed point: a Gallup poll asking Americans about their views of police force.

Every time someone trots out statistics from one of these polls, I find myself asking What do these questions really mean? And more to the point, what did the respondents really mean when they answered “yes,” “no,” “maybe”?

Let’s consider the responses to the questions Mr. Blow’s graphic designer presents.

“How much confidence do you have in the police”? Those responding ‘a great deal/quite a lot’:

Whites: 59%
Blacks: 37%

How much confidence do you  have in the police? I’ll tell you what my answer is: “It depends.”

It depends on the call to which one asks the officer(s) to respond. It depends on the officer’s training. It depends on the officer’s years of experience and on the quality of that experience. It depends on the officer’s overall IQ: smart, normal, or dumb as a post?

I feel a lot of confidence in most officers’ ability to cope with a traffic accident. I feel a lot of confidence in their ability to respond to my call to 911 reporting that some creep is trying to get in a bedroom window.  I feel a lot of confidence in their ability to respond to a cell phone call saying I’m at Tatum and Shea, headed for the Paradise Valley Police Station, and someone scary is following me.

I do not feel a lot of confidence in most officers’ ability to deal safely with domestic violence in progress, although I suspect they would do better than I could. Especially if they were bigger than me.

I do not feel a lot of confidence in any man’s or woman’s ability to respond when someone threatens his or her life; no more than I feel a  lot of confidence in my own ability to respond to a direct threat on my own life (other than to know that if I had a pistol in hand I would not hesitate to shoot).

I do not feel a lot of confidence that a police officer would deal kindly with Gerardo or Luz if someone called to say they saw one or the other of them entering my property when I wasn’t home — even if I’d left the key for Luz or the back gate unlocked for Gerardo.

I do feel a lot of confidence in any officer’s inclination to sacrifice his or her own safety to help someone whose life appears to be in danger.

“How would you rate the honest and ethical standards of police officers.” Those responding “very high/high”:

Whites: 59%
Blacks: 45%

How would you rate the honesty and ethical standards of police officers? Me, I think 59% “high” or even 45% “high” is pretty damn good. I would rate the honesty and ethical standards of most human beings as “mediocre” to “low.” Police officers seem to be human beings, and so…well…

Is the American justice system biased against black people?” Those responding “no”:

Whites: 69%
Blacks: 26%

And you? Do you think the American justice system is biased against black people? Yes, no, maybe? As for moi, my response is WRONG QUESTION!

In my not very humble opinion, the American justice system is biased against poor people: the more money you have, the more justice you can afford. Thanks to a legacy of slavery and discrimination, a larger proportion of black folks than of white folks live in poverty, or in something close to it.

Is the American justice system biased against poor people? Damn right. To the extent that a lot of black people are poor, well, sure: the system is biased against them. If you asked me, out of the blue, “biased against black people?” I might or might not answer “yes.” Or “no.” Depending on my mood and on what you asked in the previous questions.

So you see…I hate these surveys. You see why?