Public+Opinion+and+Polling



= Description =

After covering the freedom of speech, and understanding the relationship it has with the development and fostering of political dialogue, it makes sense to follow it with a look at public opinion. That's what this set of slides is all about. There are several aspects to this topic and I'll try to cover each at least adequately.

We'll begin by looking at the role public opinion is to play in a democracy. In any system based on majority rule, public policy is supposed to be tied into the preferences of the majority, but there are questions about whether this is in fact that case in the United States. Beyond that, there's the fact that the U.S. Constitution places explicit limits on the ability of the majority to dictate public policy and to use its majority status to limit the rights and liberties of minorities. We will try to understand the relationship between opinion and policy and wrestle with the suspicion that increase economic inequality is making the United States more oligarchic than democratic.

We will then come to an understanding of the factors that shape the opinions that people have. These factors - called agents of socialization - include what's going in this class. Recall that early this semester we discussed the role that education is stated to play in the establishment and maintenance of a democratic republic. But others exist as well and we will try to understand what impact each has on public opinion.

Next we will look at how public opinion is measured, which will take us to the science of public opinion polling. We will analyze what it is, how it is done and what pitfalls and mistakes can occur during the polling process. We will conclude with a look at the content and quality of public opinion. What have public opinion polls told about what the American public thinks, and do the polls demonstrate that the general public has a high or low level of knowledge?

= Goals =

- To be able to describe the role public opinion plays in a democracy. - To know the way that governing system is designed to respond to public opinion. - To be able to explain the tension that can exist between majority opinion and minority rights. - To know the sources of public opinion. - To understand and be able to explain the differences in opinion between different groups. - To understand how public opinion can change over time - hint: think of generational politics. - To know the influence peer groups have on a person's opinions. - To be familiar with how public opinion polls work and what they tell us. - To understand some of the problems that exist in polling. - To know the subtle impact that word choice can have on opinion making.

= Key Terms =

- public opinion - values - attitudes - beliefs - democracy - republic - tyranny of the majority - agents of socialization - self interest - peer groups - neighborhood effects - political generations - race - gender - the hidden curriculum - confirmation bias. - the media - spin control - framing - priming - the permanent campaign - public relations - heuristics - stereotyping - schema theory - ideology - opinion leaders - public opinion polls - random sampling - George Gallup - The Literary Digest Poll - self selection bias - framing effects - acquiescence bias - confirmation bias