A group of respondents demographically similar to the population of interest.

• A. Random sample
• B. Straw poll
• C. Representative sample
• D. Ballot fatigue

Answer: (C)

Representative sampling means selecting respondents who mirror the population's key demographics, so the results can generalize to the whole group. When a group is demographically similar to the population of interest, the distribution of characteristics that influence opinions or behaviors—like age, gender, race, and income—aligns with that of the broader population. That alignment makes it more likely that patterns observed in the sample reflect what you'd see across the population, which is what makes the sample representative. A random sample can achieve this kind of representativeness, but the defining idea here is the demographic match described. A straw poll is informal and biased because participants aren’t chosen to reflect the population. Ballot fatigue refers to tired respondents and reduced quality of responses, not to matching the population’s makeup.