Final answer:
The data from the call-in poll is not a reliable source for making an inference about the general public's opinion on the tax increase due to potential self-selection bias, caller bias, skewed sampling, and coverage bias.
Step-by-step explanation:
We can't use the data from the local television station's call-in poll as the basis for inference about the proportion of all citizens who support the proposed city tax increase for several reasons:
- The sample may not be representative of the entire population since it only includes individuals who felt strongly enough to call in. This leads to self-selection bias.
- Caller bias exists because those who participate in such polls might have different opinions from those who don't engage with call-in polls.
- The demographic of people who watch this television and are likely to call in might not reflect the broader population's demographics, leading to a skewed sampling.
- The telephone poll might not have included cell phones, which excludes a significant portion of the population, leading to coverage bias.
To accurately infer the public's opinion, a random and unbiased sample of the entire population would be required. Additionally, response rate and sampling method significantly affect the reliability of polling as a measure of public opinion.