Chapter 6

Public Opinion

Public Opinion

Public Opinion

• Democratic governments should reflect the will of the people.

• How do we know what the public wants?• Where does public opinion originate?

• Average citizens do not always have vast information about issues or elections, yet can form opinions about such matters.

• What factors influence public opinion in the presence or absence of relevant information?

Understanding Public Opinion

• Public opinion: the values and attitudes that people have about issues, events, and personalities.

• Values (or beliefs): a person’s basic orientations to politics.

• Political ideology: a cohesive set of beliefs that form a general philosophy about government.

• Attitude (or opinion): specific view about a particular issue, personality or event

Fundamental Values

Most Americans subscribe to these principles

Political Values

• Political socialization: the process through which underlying political beliefs and values are formed.

• Our underlying beliefs tend to shape how we approach new information.

• Life experiences: family upbringing, social groups, education, and the general political climate shape underlying beliefs.

Influences on Our Political Values

• Family: stories we hear growing up are highly influential when narratives are coherent and consistent.

• Social groups: people with similar traits or backgrounds have similar life experiences that shape their understanding of the political world.

Influences on Our Political Values

Influences on Our Political Values

National Security Opinion Differences Between Men & Women

The Gender Gap: men and women often see issues differently, potentially due to their different life experiences.

Influences on Our Political Values

• Religion– Religion can be powerful if it repeats stories, ceremonies,

and rituals that tell its members about who they are and how they should see the world.

Influences on Our Political Values

• Lifetime social and political context– Peace, wartime, stability or not– Economic prosperity and downturns– Race and gender relations– Recency/distance from immigrant experience

Political Ideologies

• Ideology: set of underlying orientations, ideas, beliefs

• Liberalism and conservatism are two main political ideologies in the United States today.

• Ideology is associated but not synonymous with partisanship.• One may be conservative or liberal no matter what parties

happen to exist in a given country or point in time.

Influences on Our Political Values

From Political Values to Ideology

Political Ideologies: Liberalism

• Domestic issues– Government involvement in economy to protect workers,

expand social services– Advocate for poor minorities, women, consumers, and the

environment– Separation of church and state

• Foreign affairs– Oppose sending American troops to influence the domestic

affairs in other countries– Support for international organizations

Political Ideologies: Conservatism

• Domestic issues– Oppose social and economic engineering, such as wealth

redistribution and affirmative action– Favor light business/industry regulation, low taxes for

higher earners, traditional family structures, and school prayer

• Foreign affairs– Support stronger military power and spending– Less supportive of international organizational efforts and

entanglements

Profile of a Liberal: Representative Nancy Pelosi

Profile of a Conservative: House Speaker John Boehner

How We Form Political Opinions

• Ideology plays a role.– Not all issues are clearly defined ideologically.– Most citizens are especially ideological.– Many issues can be framed in multiple ways.

• Or, actually have multiple dimensions that could manifest as liberal and/or conservative.

Americans’ Shifting Ideology,1972–2012

Political Knowledge

• Political knowledge– Most Americans have limited political knowledge.– Political knowledge is associated with levels of efficacy and

trust in government.

• Those with limited political knowledge– May rely on sound bites as facts– Information intimidation: complicated topics– Time cost: do not want or have time to devote to studying

issues or contests

Shaping Public Opinion

• Three very powerful sources of influence over public opinion:– Political leaders– Private groups– The media

Government and the Shaping of Public Opinion

Shaping Public Opinion

• Government– Presidential administrations have enormous capacities to

shape public opinion• Stress certain issues and not others• Influence how departments depict issues• Use the “bully pulpit”

– Rally around the flag effect• The media, and the public, will turn attention to issues

that the administration advances

Shaping Public Opinion

• Private groups– Interest groups, churches, community organizations– Very deep and wide reach into society– Deploy specific knowledge effectively– Through press releases, blogs, and other efforts can

communicate their messages broadly to reach like-minded individuals easily

The Media and Public Opinion

Shaping Public Opinion

• Media– Are very effective at telling Americans what issues are

important– Can, at times, frame what it means for a politician to be

successful– Can sometimes also shape how people understand the

meaning of the conflict

Measuring Public Opinion

• Polling– Sample

• Probability sampling• Random digit dialing

– Selection bias– Sample size– Margin of error

Measuring Public Opinion

• Survey design– Measure error

• Question wording• Push polling (some surveys intentionally biased)• Salient interests, the illusion of saliency• Bandwagon effect

It Depends on How You Ask

WHO ARE AMERICANS?

Who Thinks Economic Inequalityis a Problem?

CHAPTER 6

WHO ARE AMERICANS?

SOURCE: Pew Research Center, “Rising Share of Americans See Conflict between Rich and Poor,” January 11, 2012, www.pewsocialtrends.org/2012/01/11/rising-share-of-americans-see-conflict-between-rich-and-poor/ (accessed 5/10/12).

By income

> $75,000 67%

Percentage who said there are “strong” or “very strong” conflicts between rich and poor

$40,000–75,000 71%

$20,000–40,000 66%

< $20,000 64%

WHO ARE AMERICANS?

SOURCE: Pew Research Center, “Rising Share of Americans See Conflict between Rich and Poor,” January 11, 2012, www.pewsocialtrends.org/2012/01/11/rising-share-of-americans-see-conflict-between-rich-and-poor/ (accessed 5/10/12).

By ideology

Liberal 79%

Percentage who said there are “strong” or “very strong” conflicts between rich and poor

Moderate 68%

Conservative 55%

WHO ARE AMERICANS?

SOURCE: Pew Research Center, “Rising Share of Americans See Conflict between Rich and Poor,” January 11, 2012, www.pewsocialtrends.org/2012/01/11/rising-share-of-americans-see-conflict-between-rich-and-poor/ (accessed 5/10/12).

By ideology

Democrat 73%

Percentage who said there are “strong” or “very strong” conflicts between rich and poor

Independent 68%

Republican 55%

Two Pollsters and Their Records (1948–2012)

Public Opinion and Democracy

• Why don’t leaders always follow public opinion?– How strongly do people hold opinions?– The structure of American government– Governing often involves compromise.

Public Opinion and Democracy

Public Opinion Poll

Do you agree or disagree that American policy and laws reflect the preferences and opinions of most American people most of the time?

a) Strongly agree (does reflect American opinion)

b) Agree

c) Disagree

d) Strongly disagree (doesn’t reflect American opinion)

Public Opinion Poll

Do you think people rely primarily on their feelings or specific facts when determining their own personal positions on issues and candidate preferences?

a) Mostly feelings

b) Mostly facts

Public Opinion Poll

Some political leaders are more concerned with public opinion than others. Some elected officials lean more heavily on their own judgment rather than popular sentiment. Which do you believe is more appropriate in a democracy?

a) Political leaders should be most concerned with public opinion and govern according to mass policy preferences.

b) Political leaders should be less concerned with public opinion and govern based on their judgment.

Public Opinion Poll

Which of the following do you think has had the greatest influence on your political values?

a) Family

b) Social groups (racial, religious, national)

c) Education

d) Political conditions/experiences

Public Opinion Poll

Thinking about your two closest friends, would you say your views on political topics are:

a) Very similar

b) Some similar some different

c) Very different

Chapter 6: Public Opinion

• Quizzes

• Flashcards

• Outlines

• Exercises

wwnorton.com/we-the-people

Following this slide, you will find additional images, figures, and tables from the textbook.

Public Opinion

Public Opinion

Digital Citizens

Political Ideology

Political Ideology

America in the World

Political Knowledge and Public Opinion

Political Knowledge and Public Opinion

Is There a Culture War in America?

Measuring Public Opinion from Surveys

Government Responsiveness to Public Opinion

Does Everyone’s Opinion Count Equally?

Sampling Techniques and Selection Bias