ABSTRACT. Campaign polling is now ubiquitous in America and in other mature democracies. In the United States, this technique has accompanied and contributed to a more exclusive form of mass politics. Defined here as activation, this form narrowly targets limited portions of the mass public to become active in elections, demonstrations and lobbying. In contrast to the more inclusive mobilization politics practiced in other mature democracies and earlier in American history, activation politics uses polling to identify and activate limited subgroups of the broader public. Activation politics is not about majority rule. (pp. 103–120)