Public Opinion

by Bardes, Barbara A.,; Oldendick, Robert W.

• ISBN13: 9781442215023
• ISBN10: 144221502X
• Edition: 4th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2012-03-29
• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

Summary

The new edition of this popular textbook provides a comprehensive, accessible introduction to public opinion in the United States and describes how public opinion data are collected, how they are used, and the role they play in the U.S. political system. Bardes and Oldendick introduce students to the history of polling and explain the factors a good consumer of polls should know in order to evaluate public opinion data. Public Opinion: Measuring the American Mind is the only text to devote significant space to the history of polling, the use of polling in America today, and to explain the methods used for survey research. In addition, Bardes & Oldendick engage students by providing in-depth coverage of public opinion on issues-social welfare, gun control, death penalty, abortion, gay rights, civil rights, and foreign policy-over time and with an analysis of group differences for each subject. This lively, engaging text combines a comprehensive grounding in the nuts and bolts of the field with up-to-date, real-world examples.

Author Biography

Barbara A. Bardes is professor emeritus of political science at the University of Cincinnati. She is the author of American Government and Politics Today and Declarations of Independence. Robert W. Oldendick is professor of political science at the University of South Carolina. He is also the director of the South Carolina State Survey, a biannual survey of the state's residents designed to gauge public opinion on a variety of policy issues facing South Carolina.

Table of Contents

List of Figures, Boxes, and Tables	p. ix
Preface	p. xiii
Public Opinion and American Democracy
Public Opinion and American Democracy	p. 3
Defining Public Opinion	p. 4
Does Public Opinion Matter?	p. 9
Public Opinion versus Public Judgment	p. 12
Opinions, Attitudes, and Beliefs	p. 14
The Current Environment	p. 15
The Plan of the Book	p. 15
Polls, Polling, and the Internet	p. 16
Measuring American Opinion: The Origins of Polling	p. 17
The Origins of Public Opinion Polling	p. 18
The Development of Survey Research	p. 19
The Election of 1948: A Temporary Setback	p. 21
After 1948: Continued Growth	p. 24
A Surge in Telephone Interviewing: The Development of Random-Digit Dialing	p. 25
The Rise of Internet Polling	p. 26
Polls, Polling, and the Internet	p. 27
How are Opinions Measured and Used?
How Public Opinion Data are Used	p. 31
Using Public Opinion in Political Campaigns	p. 31
The Use of Public Opinion Polling by Elected Officeholders	p. 36
The Use of Polling Data by Government Agencies	p. 39
Public Opinion and Interest Groups	p. 44
The Use of Polling by the Media	p. 46
Tracking Presidential Approval Ratings	p. 49
The Call-In Poll	p. 51
The Use of Public Opinion Data in Academic Research	p. 52
Polls, Polling, and the Internet	p. 55
How are Opinions Measured?	p. 57
Modes of Survey Data Collection	p. 58
Populations of Interest	p. 58
Selecting a Sample	p. 59
Random-Digit Dialing	p. 62
Sampling for Electronic Data Collection	p. 64
Sampling Error	p. 65
Sample Size	p. 66
Questionnaire Design	p. 67
Data Analysis	p. 79
Polls, Polling, and the Internet	p. 84
What do Americans Believe?
The Sources of Opinions	p. 87
The Political Learning of Children and Adolescents	p. 89
The Influence of Formal Education	p. 93
The Curriculum	p. 94
Ritual and Ceremony	p. 95
The Teachers	p. 95
School Behaviors	p. 97
The Influence of Ethnic Identity	p. 99
Religion and Public Opinion	p. 102
Gender and Opinions	p. 105
The Influence of Peers	p. 106
Generational Influences on Opinion	p. 108
The Media's Influence on Opinion	p. 110
Polls, Polling, and the Internet	p. 116
What the Public Knows about Politics	p. 117
Early Empirical Investigations	p. 118
The Unchanging American Voter	p. 120
Applying Democratic Principles	p. 123
Group Differences in Knowledge	p. 127
The Consequences of Political Knowledge	p. 129
A Glass-Half-Full Perspective?	p. 129
Polls, Polling, and the Internet	p. 130
Political Orientations	p. 131
Political Ideology	p. 132
Party Identification	p. 139
Confidence in Institutions	p. 144
Trust in Government	p. 147
Power of the Federal Government	p. 151
Summary	p. 155
Polls, Polling, and the Internet	p. 157
Public Opinion on Social-Welfare Issues	p. 159
Social-Welfare Issues	p. 160
Social Security	p. 161
Education	p. 165
Health Care	p. 167
Assisting the Needy	p. 173
The Environment	p. 177
The Issue of Global Warming	p. 182
Group Differences in Attitudes	p. 183
Summary	p. 186
Polls, Polling, and the Internet	p. 187
Americans' Views on Racial Issues	p. 189
Racial Desegregation	p. 190
Fair Employment Practices	p. 193
Affirmative Action	p. 194
Government Aid to Minority Groups	p. 198
Spending on Racial Issues	p. 202
Other Issues of Race: Historical and Contemporary	p. 205
The Increasing Influence of Hispanics	p. 211
Summary	p. 213
Polls, Polling, and the Internet	p. 215
Public Opinion on Highly Controversial Issues	p. 217
The Politics of Crime and Criminal Justice	p. 218
The Politics of Individual Rights	p. 225
Public Opinion toward Abortion	p. 226
Public Opinion on Gay Issues	p. 232
American Views on Gun Control	p. 234
Thinking about Weapons and Government Controls	p. 236
Immigration: A Mind Divided	p. 238
Summary	p. 241
Polls, Polling, and the Internet	p. 242
How Americans View Foreign and Defense Policies	p. 245
American Opinion in the Post-9/11 World	p. 246
Public Opinion and Foreign Policy: Which Opinions?	p. 248
Foreign Policy Goals and Priorities	p. 250
Issues of War and Peace	p. 253
Terrorism and the Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq	p. 257
Peacekeeping, Rescue, and Other Uses of Military Force	p. 260
Foreign Aid and Other International Issues	p. 261
How Do Americans Think about Foreign Policy?	p. 264
Summary	p. 268
Polls, Polling, and the Internet	p. 268
Public Opinion: A Critical Perspective
Challenges Facing Public Opinion Research: Issues of Reliability and Trust	p. 273
Pseudo-Polls	p. 275
Technological Developments	p. 276
Respondent Factors	p. 282
The Cost of Survey Errors	p. 286
The Continuing Case for Polling	p. 288
Conclusion	p. 288
Sources of Public Opinion Data	p. 291
Questions from the American National Election Studies and General Social Surveys	p. 295
Glossary	p. 309
Notes	p. 317
References	p. 333
Index	p. 361
About the Authors	p. 377
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