Public opinion—citizens’ attitudes about political issues, leaders, institutions and events—serves as a political basis of support for contemporary politicians. Presidents, members of Congress, and even the Supreme Court must take account of public opinion in their efforts to govern and to make and implement policy. As the standard by which we judge the strength of American democracy, public opinion—its origins, its development, and its influence—is a key concern of modern political science. Operating at both the individual level and the collective level, public preferences are quite complex. Understanding the origins of public opinion, the state of contemporary public knowledge about politics, and the ways that political elites shape and measure public opinion are the key aims of this chapter. Show
1. What Is Public Opinion? What is public opinion? How is it expressed? What are the most common topics on which people hold political opinions? To what extent is the character of American public opinion best described as consensus-oriented or as evidence of polarization?
2. Origins of Public Opinion From where do Americans get their opinions about politics? What role does self-interest play in determining one’s political views? What are the most common sources of political socialization and how do they shed light on the differences in opinion that occupy American politics? What is the role of political ideology in organizing the political opinions Americans hold?
3. Public Opinion and Political Knowledge What is the state of political attentiveness and political knowledge among American citizens? What are the consequences of the current state of political knowledge in America?
4. Shaping Opinion: Political Leaders, Private Groups, and the Media What are the primary forces that seek to manipulate, influence, and otherwise shape public opinion? How do these forces go about shaping opinion? What is the nature of their influence?
5. Measuring Public Opinion What are the effects of measuring public opinion through polls? What are the techniques pollsters employ? How might those techniques sometimes lead to errors in measurement or to outright changes in public opinion?
6. How Does Public Opinion Influence Government Policy? What is the appropriate role for public opinion to play in a polity that values both democracy and republicanism? In what ways do politicians govern for us? How can we make policy for ourselves? Which of the following sets policies would most likely be supported by a libertarian?Which of the following sets of policies would most likely be supported by a libertarian? typically oppose all government regulations on any given policy. For example, legalizing Marijuana would mean less government regulation on drug usage. Less government regulation on prisons would also be nice for them.
Which of the following sets of policies appears to be most influenced by a libertarian ideology quizlet?Which of the following sets of policies appears to be most influenced by a libertarian ideology? Legalize the commercial sale if marijuana and reduce government spending on prisons.
Which type of government is most accessible to the public quizlet?Which branch of the Government is usually most accessible to the average citizen? The judicial branch, because each citizen has a legally protected right to be heard in court.
Which of the following is generally the most important agent of political socialization?The family as an agent of political socialization is most successful in passing on basic political identities, especially an affiliation with the Republican or Democratic Parties and liberal or conservative ideological leanings (Dennis & Owen, 1997). Children can learn by example when parents act as role models.
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