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  • Michael Marsh

    Michael Marsh

    Emeritus Professor, Trinity College Dublin.

    Emeritus Professor, Trinity College Dublin.

    A look at the polls and trends of the year

    Poll of Polls: A year of political ups and downs

    What a lot of difference a year can make to our politics. Here's a look back on a year of political ups and downs in the opinion polls.

    Politics • 22 Dec 20
    Irish voters by the turn of the century were less enthusiastic about single-party government

    How might a government be formed?

    Along with many other things inherited from Britain, we have been used to seeing government in terms of a majority, often comprised of one, but occasionally two, or more parties.

    Election 2020 • 13 Feb 20
    More people have voted left in this election than in previous years

    Has there really been a swing to the left?

    There have been a lot of false dawns for those hoping for politics in Ireland move away from its civil war based structure to a left right pattern of competition along typical European lines.

    Election 2020 • 10 Feb 20
    There are no final turnout figures as yet

    Did turnout make a difference this time?

    Election 2020 • 10 Feb 20
    National share usually gives good indication of next Dáil

    'Exit poll suggests much work ahead for party leaders'

    We are only too aware of how we can be misled sometimes by exit polls, but the big picture this poll gives is the best we have to go on at the moment.

    Election 2020 • 09 Feb 20
    Will turnout be affected by Saturday vote?

    Will turnout be affected by Saturday vote?

    The coming General Election is likely to be remembered for a seismic change in the party system but it is also remarkable as it will take place on a Saturday.

    Election 2020 • 05 Feb 20
    Poll of Polls: SF up, FF & FG down

    Poll of Polls: SF up, FF & FG down

    The latest Ipsos/MRBI poll for The Irish Times confirms the trends we have seen in this campaign with Sinn Féin rising, and Fianna Fáil - and even more so Fine Gael - falling.

    Election 2020 • 04 Feb 20
    Polls vary due to real changes in vote intention over time, but also because companies have differing methodologies

    Poll of polls: No clear result in sight

    Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil's predicted combined seat total could still be short of the 80 seats needed for a majority, writes Michael Marsh

    Election 2020 • 03 Feb 20
    In theory, voters can decide what they want done by selecting a party on the basis of its promises - but it's not as simple as that

    Promises, promises, promises - do manifestos mean much?

    The past week has seen all parties launching manifestos, explaining what they think is wrong with the way things are being run now and what they will do if elected.

    Election 2020 • 02 Feb 20
    How does the campaign matter?

    How does the campaign matter?

    More recent wisdom is that campaigns do matter. They do help people to decide, but that is not to say that those decisions are unexpected.

    Election 2020 • 28 Jan 20
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