Pollsters' fear: too many polls, too few answers

Much to the dismay of pollsters and market researchers, Americansare increasing inclined to hang up the phone when pollsters seektheir opinions on everything from how they'll vote to what TVprograms they watch to which brand of peanut butter they prefer.

"One of the problems facing the research industry today is thecontinuing and alarming decline in rates of participation," saidMervin Field, the veteran pollster who conducts the respectedCalifornia Poll of political races. "Polls should not be accepted ontheir face."

The Gallup Organization, perhaps America's best known surveycompany, was able to reach more than 80 percent of the people itcalled when it first …