Public Opinion

1
Public Opinion

• Overview
• Introduction
• Three Basic Facts
• Origins of Public Opinion
• Public Opinion and Ideology
• Polling

2
Public Opinion

• Introduction
• - What is public opinion?
• - Why is it important?
• - Limitations

3
Public Opinion

• II. Three Basic Facts
• 1. Public opinion may conflict with other
• important values
• 2. Public opinion is difficult to
• determine
• 3. Public opinion is mediated by elites

4
Public Opinion

• III. Origins of Public Opinion
• 1. Political Socialization
• 2. Agents of Socialization
• - Family
• - Reference Groups
• - Region
• - Social Class and Education
• - Events

5
Public Opinion

• IV. Public Opinion and Ideology
• 1. Ideology
• 2. Ideology for a World Perspective
• - Left (Socialism, Communism)
• - Center (Classic Liberalism,
• Classic Conservatism)
• - Right (Authoritarism, Facism)

6
Public Opinion

• 3. Ideology from an American Perspective
• - Generally, lack of
• - Mainly, center right
• - Four Belief Perspectives
• - Liberals, Conservatives,
• Populists, Libertarians

7
Public Opinion

• V. Polling
• a. Background
• b. Questions to ask about polls
• c. Specific Problems with Polls
• - Sampling Error
• - Observer Effects
• - Respondent Problems