Suppose a newspaper published the following in a boxed corner of the want add sectioin:

Should handgun control be abolished? You can call the shots if you participate in our poll tonight. If yes, call 1-900-for-guns. If no, call 1-900-Ban-guns. You will be charged 50 cents for the first minute.

Why will the results of this poll be bias?

Of course.

Of course? What do you mean by "of course?"

The results of this poll would likely be biased for a few reasons:

1. Self-Selection Bias: By making the poll available only through phone calls, it limits the participation to those who are willing to pay and take the time to call. This leads to a self-selecting sample of people who feel strongly enough about the issue to make the effort to call. This can skew the results towards one side or the other, as those who are more passionate about the topic may be more motivated to participate.

2. Cost Barrier: Requiring participants to pay 50 cents for the first minute of the call creates a financial barrier. This means that only individuals who can afford to make the call will be able to participate. This introduces an economic bias, as the opinions of people who cannot afford or are unwilling to pay for the call are excluded from the sample.

3. Limited Response Options: The poll is designed to offer a binary choice - "yes" or "no" - without any room for nuanced opinions or middle-ground perspectives. This can oversimplify the issue and fail to capture the full range of views. People who may hold more complex or moderate opinions may feel compelled to choose an option that doesn't fully align with their beliefs, leading to a distortion of the results.

4. Potential for Manipulation: Since participants are calling separate phone numbers for each option, it opens up the possibility of strategic voting or manipulation. Individuals or interest groups could potentially encourage others to call and vote in a particular way, artificially inflating the results for a certain side.

In order to conduct a more unbiased poll, it would be advisable to use a random sampling method that ensures a diverse range of participants and provides an opportunity for them to express their opinions without any financial or logistical barriers. Additionally, offering more response options that capture a wider spectrum of viewpoints would help in obtaining a more accurate representation of public opinion.