Public Opinion : Democratic Ideals, Democtratic Practice

by Clawson, Rosalee A.; Oxley, Zoe M.

• ISBN13: 9781608717965
• ISBN10: 1608717968
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2012-02-01
• Publisher: Cq Pr

Summary

In this revision to their lauded core text, Clawson and Oxley continue to link the enduring normative questions of democratic theory to existing empirical research on public opinion. Exploring the tension between ideals and their practice, each chapter focuses on a handful of exemplary studies so students gain a richer understanding of the research process and see methods applied in context. With new scholarship and data throughout, this second edition includes substantial new material on the critical role of groups in shaping public opinion, as well as recent developments in U.S. politics, such as public evaluations of President Obama, the power of new media, the rise of the Tea Party movement, and more.

Author Biography

Zoe M. Oxley is associate professor of political science at Union College. Her research interests include the effects of the media on public opinion, new media and political knowledge, political psychology, and women in electoral politics. Her work has been published in the American Political Science Review, Journal of Politics, Politics Gender, Political Research Quarterly, Political Behavior, Judicature, and PS: Political Science and Politics.

Table of Contents

Tables, Figures, and Features	p. xiii
Preface	p. xvi
What Should the Role of Citizens Be in a Democratic Society?	p. 1
Public Opinion in a Democracy	p. 3
Theories of Democracy	p. 4
What is Public Opinion?	p. 14
Defining Key Concepts	p. 17
Empirical Assessments of Public Opinion	p. 22
Themes of the Book	p. 23
Key Concepts	p. 25
Suggested Sources for Further Reading	p. 25
Appendix. Studying Public Opinion Empirically	p. 27
Public Opinion Surveys	p. 27
Experiments	p. 32
Interviews	p. 35
Focus Groups	p. 36
Content Analysis	p. 37
Conclusion	p. 38
Key Concepts	p. 39
Suggested Sources for Further Reading	p. 39
Are Citizens Pliable?	p. 41
Political Socialization	p. 43
Childhood Socialization	p. 45
Parental Transmission of Political Attitudes	p. 49
Political Events and Socialization	p. 57
Genetic Inheritance of Political Attitudes	p. 61
Conclusion	p. 64
Key Concepts	p. 66
Suggested Sources for Further Reading	p. 67
Mass Media	p. 69
What Should Citizens Expect from the Mass Media in a Democracy?	p. 72
What General Characteristics of the Mass Media Shape News Coverage?	p. 73
What Specific Characteristics of the News Media Shape the Reporting of Political Events?	p. 81
Are Citizens Affected by the Mass Media?	p. 85
Conclusion	p. 98
Key Concepts	p. 99
Suggested Sources for Further Reading	p. 99
Attitude Stability and Attitude Change	p. 101
Are Americans' Attitudes Stable?	p. 102
Collective Attitude Stability	p. 105
Presidential Approval	p. 109
Psychological Approaches to Attitudes	p. 112
Conclusion	p. 127
Key Concepts	p. 129
Suggested Sources for Further Reading	p. 129
Do Citizens Organize Their Political Thinking?	p. 131
Ideological Innocence and Critiques	p. 133
Converse's Claim: Ideological Innocence	p. 135
Critiques of Converse	p. 141
Related Evidence?	p. 156
Conclusion	p. 158
Key Concepts	p. 160
Suggested Sources for Further Reading	p. 160
Pluralistic Roots of Public Opinion: Personality, Self-interest, Values, and History	p. 162
Personality	p. 163
Self-Interest	p. 173
Values	p. 176
Historical Events	p. 179
Conclusion	p. 182
Key Concepts	p. 183
Suggested Sources for Further Reading	p. 183
Pluralistic Roots of Public Opinion: The Central Role of Groups	p. 185
Party Identification	p. 186
Race and Public Opinion	p. 189
Gender and Public Opinion	p. 203
Conclusion	p. 206
Key Concepts	p. 207
Suggested Sources for Further Reading	p. 207
Do Citizens Endorse and Demonstrate Democratic Basics?	p. 209
Knowledge, Interest, and Attention to Politics	p. 211
How Knowledgeable, Interested, and Attentive Should Citizens Be in a Democracy?	p. 212
Are Citizens Knowledgeable about Politics?	p. 214
Measuring Political Knowledge	p. 221
Why Are Some Citizens More Knowledgeable than Others?	p. 228
What Are the Consequences of Political Knowledge?	p. 233
Are Citizens Interested in and Attentive to Politics?	p. 234
Conclusion	p. 237
Key Concepts	p. 239
Suggested Sources for Further Reading	p. 239
Support for Civil Liberties	p. 241
Are Americans Tolerant?	p. 244
Sources of Tolerant Attitudes	p. 253
Contextual Influences on Tolerance Judgments	p. 255
Are Elites More Tolerant?	p. 259
Civil Liberties Post-9/11	p. 262
Conclusion	p. 267
Key Concepts	p. 270
Suggested Sources for Further Reading	p. 270
Support for Civil Rights	p. 273
Public Opinion and Presidential Candidates	p. 275
Support for Civil Rights Policies	p. 284
Conclusion	p. 297
Key Concepts	p. 299
Suggested Sources for Further Reading	p. 299
What Is the Relationship between Citizens and Their Government?	p. 301
Trust in Government, Support for Institutions, and Social Capital	p. 303
Trust in Government	p. 305
Support for Institutions	p. 319
Social Capital	p. 325
Conclusion	p. 333
Key Concepts	p. 334
Suggested Sources for Further Reading	p. 334
Impact of Public Opinion on Policy	p. 337
Should Public Opinion Influence Policy?	p. 340
Is Public Opinion Related to Policy?	p. 341
Do Politicians Follow or Lead the Public?	p. 349
Public Opinion and Foreign Policy	p. 357
Conclusion	p. 363
Key Concepts	p. 364
Suggested Sources for Further Reading	p. 364
What Do We Make of Public Opinion in a Democracy?	p. 367
Conclusion	p. 369
What Should the Role of Citizens Be in a Democratic Society?	p. 369
Are Citizens Pliable?	p. 370
Do Citizens Organize Their Political Thinking?	p. 371
Do Citizens Endorse and Demonstrate Democratic Basics?	p. 372
What Is the Relationship between Citizens and Their Government?	p. 373
What Do We Make of Public Opinion in a Democracy?	p. 374
Notes	p. 375
Glossary	p. 413
Index	p. 429
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.