Public Opinion

by Glynn, Carroll J.; Herbst, Susan; O'Keefe, Garret; Shapiro, Robert

• ISBN13: 9780813329178
• ISBN10: 0813329175
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1999-01-07
• Publisher: Westview Pr

Summary

Public Opinionis a comprehensive and interdisciplinary examination of public opinion formation and change. Here, the authors explore the nature of political and social attitudes in the United States and how these attitudes are shaped by various institutions, with an emphasis on mass media. The book draws on the wide range of scholarship in Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, and Communications in order to help undergraduates understand public opinion in America.The book surveys the public opinion field, but it also serves as a provocative starting point for the discussion of citizen moods, political participation, and voting behavior. The authors present data about public attitudes on important social issues, but also explore the intellectual and social history of public opinion. Multiple sidebars, illustrations, tables, and figures enable students to explore all aspects of the elusive phenomenon we call public opinion.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. xv
The Meanings of Public Opinion	p. 3
The History of Public Opinion	p. 31
Methods for Studying Public Opinion	p. 65
Psychological Perspectives	p. 103
Sociological Perspectives	p. 145
Perception and Opinion Formation	p. 177
Basic Beliefs, Democratic Theory, and Public Opinion	p. 212
Publis Opinion and Democratic Competence	p. 249
Public Opinion and Policymaking	p. 299
The Content of Our Attitudes: Public Opinion in the Contemporary United States	p. 341
Communicating with the Public	p. 381
Campaigning and Opinion Change	p. 416
Looking Ahead	p. 448
Index	p. 453
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