John Zogby
Encyclopedia
John Zogby is an American
political pollster and first senior fellow at The Catholic University of America
's Life Cycle Institute. He is the founder, president and CEO of Zogby International
, a polling firm known for both phone polling and interactive, Internet-based polling.
, the son of Lebanese
Catholic immigrants. His brother, James Zogby
, is the founder of the Arab American Institute
, and is also employed by Zogby International.
Zogby received a Bachelor's degree
in history from Le Moyne College
in 1970 and a Master's degree
in history from Syracuse University
in 1973. He taught history and political science for 24 years. A trustee of Le Moyne College, Zogby received the Alumni Award in June, 2000. In 2005, he was awarded Honorary Doctorate Degrees from State University of New York and the Graduate School of Union University. In 2009, Zogby received an honorary degree from the College of St. Rose.
, New York. He describes himself as a Democrat, while his polling firm is "independent and nonpartisan."
Zogby International
Zogby founded the polling firm Zogby International in 1984. Since then, he has conducted polls and focus groups around the world, though he has gained the most publicity for his polls of United States Presidential elections.
He first gained attention in the 1992 presidential election when he released a survey showing the New York State Governor Mario Cuomo
would lose in his home state to incumbent President George H. W. Bush
. That poll is widely thought to have pushed Cuomo from the race. Later, he gained more national attention in the 1996 Presidential election
when his final poll came within a tenth of a point of the actual result. Zogby also correctly polled the cliffhanger result of the 2000 presidential election won narrowly by George W. Bush
, in contrast to most other pollsters who had expected Bush to win easily.
He has been known as an industry innovator, making it standard practice to weight his political polls using party identification, which was not a common practice when he began to do so. Today, it is widely accepted as a best practice for the industry. Zogby himself credits this as one key reason his political polling has been so accurate over the years.
Another key reason for the Zogby success stems from his decision to maintain an in-house call center using live operators in Upstate New York. But, with the dramatic changes in the telephone industry in recent years, Zogby in 1998 began developing an interactive online polling methodology using a massive database of respondents that closely represents the national population at large.
Zogby International
has also had success with elections in countries outside the United States. He correctly called the 2001 Israel
i election for Ariel Sharon
, the 2000 Mexican
election for Vicente Fox
and again in Mexico with the victory of Felipe Calderón
in 2006. Also, Zogby has made a sideline of polling Arab attitudes toward the United States, particularly in regard to Lebanon.
Zogby has penned a comprehensive review of the process of polling the volatile 2008 Democratic Party nomination race between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.
On January 18, 2010, on the Hannity Show
, when asked by the host to make a prediction in the next day’s special election in Massachusetts, Zogby said that he thought Martha Coakley
would win “not much, just barely, one or less points” over Scott Brown
. He clarified within one hour of this show airing that his statement was "a hunch" and was not based on a specific poll since his company was not polling the election in Massachusetts.
Sale of Zogby International
A majority interest in Zogby International was sold to IBOPE Inteligência, a subsidiary of the IBOPE
Group, a Brazilian multinational company specializing in media, market and opinion research. It was announced in March 2011 that the company would be known as IBOPE Zogby International and would be managed by Chief Executive Officer, Kjell de Orr, and a five-member Board Directors, including John Zogby, Márcia Cavallari, CEO of IBOPE Inteligência, Kjell de Orr, Marcelo Kac, Latin American Business and Operations Executive Director for IBOPE Inteligência, and His Highness Prince Turki bin Khalid al Saud.
's POTUS 08 Channel 130 in September 2007. Daily radio vignettes were heard on POTUS 08, where Zogby's Real America co-host Fritz Wenzel also provided commentary and analysis on fresh Zogby polling data though the Presidential election in November 2008.
He also writes a weekly column for Forbes.com and is in the U.S. News and World Report's Washington Whispers with a weekly "Obamameter" report.
He writes a regular, standing political analysis column for Campaigns and Elections' Politics Magazine. Since May 2005, he has also been a contributing blogger at The Huffington Post
.
Zogby previously hosted a weekly show called "Zogby's Real America," which debuted on XM Satellite Radio's POTUS 08 Channel 130 in September 2007. Daily radio vignettes were heard on POTUS 08, where Zogby's Real America co-host Fritz Wenzel also provided commentary and analysis on fresh Zogby polling data though the Presidential election in November 2008.
Zogby is also a Senior Advisor at the John F. Kennedy School of Government
at Harvard University
and serves as the first Senior Fellow of The Catholic University of America's Life Cycle Institute in Washington, D.C.
He is also a member of the board of directors of the prestigious Advertising Research Foundation
, based in New York City.
He also serves on the Advisory Council for Bio-Technology for the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and is a Commissioner on the Center for Strategic and International Studies Commission on Smart Power.
In 2006, he was honoured as a "Living Legend of Oneida County" (NY) for his community service work and his founding of a groundbreaking worldwide company.
He is the author of The Way We'll Be, published by Random House in August 2008; it is an optimistic portrait of the new American consumer based on his polls.
John is weighing in on President Barack Obama's job performance and popularity on the new "Obamameter" featured on the revamped Washington Whispers home page from U.S. News and World Report. He also writes a weekly column for Forbes.com
teacher. His interests include golf, basketball, and soccer coaching.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
political pollster and first senior fellow at The Catholic University of America
The Catholic University of America
The Catholic University of America is a private university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States. It is a pontifical university of the Catholic Church in the United States and the only institution of higher education founded by the U.S. Catholic bishops...
's Life Cycle Institute. He is the founder, president and CEO of Zogby International
Zogby International
IBOPE Zogby International is an international market research, opinion polling firm founded in 1984 by John Zogby. The company polls and consults for a wide spectrum of business media, government, and political groups, and conducts public opinion research in more than 70 countries...
, a polling firm known for both phone polling and interactive, Internet-based polling.
Early years
Zogby grew up in Utica, New YorkUtica, New York
Utica is a city in and the county seat of Oneida County, New York, United States. The population was 62,235 at the 2010 census, an increase of 2.6% from the 2000 census....
, the son of Lebanese
Lebanese people
The Lebanese people are a nation and ethnic group of Levantine people originating in what is today the country of Lebanon, including those who had inhabited Mount Lebanon prior to the creation of the modern Lebanese state....
Catholic immigrants. His brother, James Zogby
James Zogby
James J. Zogby is the author of Arab Voices and the founder and president of the Arab American Institute , a Washington, D.C.–based organization which serves as a political and policy research arm of the Arab American community. He is a senior analyst with his brother's polling firm, Zogby...
, is the founder of the Arab American Institute
Arab American Institute
Founded in 1985, the Arab American Institute is a non-profit membership organization based in Washington D.C. that focuses on the issues and interests of Arab-Americans nationwide. James Zogby, brother of pollster John Zogby, is founder and president of the AAI....
, and is also employed by Zogby International.
Zogby received a Bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in history from Le Moyne College
Le Moyne College
Le Moyne College, named after Simon Le Moyne, is a private, Jesuit college enrolling over 3,500 undergraduate and graduate students. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1946, Le Moyne is the first Jesuit college to be founded as a co-educational institution...
in 1970 and a Master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in history from Syracuse University
Syracuse University
Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
in 1973. He taught history and political science for 24 years. A trustee of Le Moyne College, Zogby received the Alumni Award in June, 2000. In 2005, he was awarded Honorary Doctorate Degrees from State University of New York and the Graduate School of Union University. In 2009, Zogby received an honorary degree from the College of St. Rose.
Career
An interpreter of the political scene, Zogby had a brief stint as an aspiring politician himself in 1981, when he ran unsuccessfully for Mayor of UticaUtica, New York
Utica is a city in and the county seat of Oneida County, New York, United States. The population was 62,235 at the 2010 census, an increase of 2.6% from the 2000 census....
, New York. He describes himself as a Democrat, while his polling firm is "independent and nonpartisan."
Zogby International
Zogby founded the polling firm Zogby International in 1984. Since then, he has conducted polls and focus groups around the world, though he has gained the most publicity for his polls of United States Presidential elections.
He first gained attention in the 1992 presidential election when he released a survey showing the New York State Governor Mario Cuomo
Mario Cuomo
Mario Matthew Cuomo served as the 52nd Governor of New York from 1983 to 1994, and is the father of Andrew Cuomo, the current governor of New York.-Early life:...
would lose in his home state to incumbent President George H. W. Bush
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
. That poll is widely thought to have pushed Cuomo from the race. Later, he gained more national attention in the 1996 Presidential election
United States presidential election, 1996
The United States presidential election of 1996 was a contest between the Democratic national ticket of President Bill Clinton of Arkansas and Vice President Al Gore of Tennessee and the Republican national ticket of former Senator Bob Dole of Kansas for President and former Housing Secretary Jack...
when his final poll came within a tenth of a point of the actual result. Zogby also correctly polled the cliffhanger result of the 2000 presidential election won narrowly by George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
, in contrast to most other pollsters who had expected Bush to win easily.
He has been known as an industry innovator, making it standard practice to weight his political polls using party identification, which was not a common practice when he began to do so. Today, it is widely accepted as a best practice for the industry. Zogby himself credits this as one key reason his political polling has been so accurate over the years.
Another key reason for the Zogby success stems from his decision to maintain an in-house call center using live operators in Upstate New York. But, with the dramatic changes in the telephone industry in recent years, Zogby in 1998 began developing an interactive online polling methodology using a massive database of respondents that closely represents the national population at large.
Zogby International
Zogby International
IBOPE Zogby International is an international market research, opinion polling firm founded in 1984 by John Zogby. The company polls and consults for a wide spectrum of business media, government, and political groups, and conducts public opinion research in more than 70 countries...
has also had success with elections in countries outside the United States. He correctly called the 2001 Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i election for Ariel Sharon
Ariel Sharon
Ariel Sharon is an Israeli statesman and retired general, who served as Israel’s 11th Prime Minister. He has been in a permanent vegetative state since suffering a stroke on 4 January 2006....
, the 2000 Mexican
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
election for Vicente Fox
Vicente Fox
Vicente Fox Quesada is a Mexican former politician who served as President of Mexico from 1 December 2000 to 30 November 2006 and currently serves as co-President of the Centrist Democrat International, an international organization of Christian democratic political parties.Fox was elected...
and again in Mexico with the victory of Felipe Calderón
Felipe Calderón
Felipe de Jesús Calderón Hinojosa is the current President of Mexico. He assumed office on December 1, 2006, and was elected for a single six-year term through 2012...
in 2006. Also, Zogby has made a sideline of polling Arab attitudes toward the United States, particularly in regard to Lebanon.
Zogby has penned a comprehensive review of the process of polling the volatile 2008 Democratic Party nomination race between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.
On January 18, 2010, on the Hannity Show
The Sean Hannity Show
The Sean Hannity Show is a talk radio show hosted by Sean Hannity on Citadel Media and Premiere Radio Networks. The program is broadcast live every weekday, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m...
, when asked by the host to make a prediction in the next day’s special election in Massachusetts, Zogby said that he thought Martha Coakley
Martha Coakley
Martha Mary Coakley is the Attorney General of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Prior to serving as Attorney General, she was District Attorney of Middlesex County, Massachusetts from 1999 to 2007....
would win “not much, just barely, one or less points” over Scott Brown
Scott Brown
Scott Brown is a United States senator.Scott Brown may also refer to:-Sportsmen:*Scott Brown , American college football coach of Kentucky State...
. He clarified within one hour of this show airing that his statement was "a hunch" and was not based on a specific poll since his company was not polling the election in Massachusetts.
Sale of Zogby International
A majority interest in Zogby International was sold to IBOPE Inteligência, a subsidiary of the IBOPE
IBOPE
IBOPE was established in Brazil in 1942 and provides the largest collection of information in Brazilian and Latin American markets...
Group, a Brazilian multinational company specializing in media, market and opinion research. It was announced in March 2011 that the company would be known as IBOPE Zogby International and would be managed by Chief Executive Officer, Kjell de Orr, and a five-member Board Directors, including John Zogby, Márcia Cavallari, CEO of IBOPE Inteligência, Kjell de Orr, Marcelo Kac, Latin American Business and Operations Executive Director for IBOPE Inteligência, and His Highness Prince Turki bin Khalid al Saud.
Other activities
Zogby also hosted a weekly show called "Zogby's Real America," which debuted on XM Satellite RadioXM Satellite Radio
XM Satellite Radio is one of two satellite radio services in the United States and Canada, operated by Sirius XM Radio. It provides pay-for-service radio, analogous to cable television. Its service includes 73 different music channels, 39 news, sports, talk and entertainment channels, 21 regional...
's POTUS 08 Channel 130 in September 2007. Daily radio vignettes were heard on POTUS 08, where Zogby's Real America co-host Fritz Wenzel also provided commentary and analysis on fresh Zogby polling data though the Presidential election in November 2008.
He also writes a weekly column for Forbes.com and is in the U.S. News and World Report's Washington Whispers with a weekly "Obamameter" report.
He writes a regular, standing political analysis column for Campaigns and Elections' Politics Magazine. Since May 2005, he has also been a contributing blogger at The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post is an American news website and content-aggregating blog founded by Arianna Huffington, Kenneth Lerer, and Jonah Peretti, featuring liberal minded columnists and various news sources. The site offers coverage of politics, theology, media, business, entertainment, living, style,...
.
Zogby previously hosted a weekly show called "Zogby's Real America," which debuted on XM Satellite Radio's POTUS 08 Channel 130 in September 2007. Daily radio vignettes were heard on POTUS 08, where Zogby's Real America co-host Fritz Wenzel also provided commentary and analysis on fresh Zogby polling data though the Presidential election in November 2008.
Zogby is also a Senior Advisor at the John F. Kennedy School of Government
John F. Kennedy School of Government
The John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University is a public policy and public administration school, and one of Harvard's graduate and professional schools...
at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
and serves as the first Senior Fellow of The Catholic University of America's Life Cycle Institute in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
He is also a member of the board of directors of the prestigious Advertising Research Foundation
Advertising Research Foundation
The Advertising Research Foundation is a nonprofit industry association for creating, aggregating, synthesizing and sharing knowledge in the fields of advertising and media. It was founded in 1936 by the Association of National Advertisers and the American Association of Advertising Agencies...
, based in New York City.
He also serves on the Advisory Council for Bio-Technology for the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and is a Commissioner on the Center for Strategic and International Studies Commission on Smart Power.
In 2006, he was honoured as a "Living Legend of Oneida County" (NY) for his community service work and his founding of a groundbreaking worldwide company.
He is the author of The Way We'll Be, published by Random House in August 2008; it is an optimistic portrait of the new American consumer based on his polls.
John is weighing in on President Barack Obama's job performance and popularity on the new "Obamameter" featured on the revamped Washington Whispers home page from U.S. News and World Report. He also writes a weekly column for Forbes.com
Personal life
Zogby has three sons with his wife, Kathleen, a retired special educationSpecial education
Special education is the education of students with special needs in a way that addresses the students' individual differences and needs. Ideally, this process involves the individually planned and systematically monitored arrangement of teaching procedures, adapted equipment and materials,...
teacher. His interests include golf, basketball, and soccer coaching.