Public Opinion

Magruder Chapter EightMagruder Chapter Eight

The Formation of Public Opinion

What is Public Opinion?

Public Opinion is those attitudes held by a Public Opinion is those attitudes held by a significant number of persons on matters of significant number of persons on matters of government and politicsgovernment and politics

Public Opinion is made up of a wide variety Public Opinion is made up of a wide variety of expressed group attitudesof expressed group attitudes

Factors That ShapePublic Opinion

The FamilyThe Family Political socialization begins within the Political socialization begins within the

family, where children learn basic attitudes family, where children learn basic attitudes toward authority, property, and rules of toward authority, property, and rules of behaviorbehavior

Adult political behavior is firmly based on Adult political behavior is firmly based on attitudes and values formed in the home in attitudes and values formed in the home in early childhoodearly childhood

Factors That ShapePublic Opinion

The SchoolsThe Schools Schools give children formal knowledge Schools give children formal knowledge

that they will need to be good citizensthat they will need to be good citizens Schools are also centers of informal Schools are also centers of informal

learning about other groups in societylearning about other groups in society

Factors That ShapePublic Opinion

Opinion LeadersOpinion Leaders Opinion leaders are people who have more Opinion leaders are people who have more

than the usual amount of influence on the than the usual amount of influence on the attitudes of othersattitudes of others

They include politicians, members of the They include politicians, members of the press, and professional peoplepress, and professional people

Factors That ShapePublic Opinion

The Mass MediaThe Mass Media The mass media, including television, radio, The mass media, including television, radio,

film, books, magazines, and newspapers, film, books, magazines, and newspapers, have a large influence on public opinionhave a large influence on public opinion

Television alone is a major influence on Television alone is a major influence on people’s daily livespeople’s daily lives

Factors That ShapePublic Opinion

A Mix of FactorsA Mix of Factors No one factor by itself shapes any person’s No one factor by itself shapes any person’s

political opinionpolitical opinion The factors that are most important vary The factors that are most important vary

with the issue being consideredwith the issue being considered

The Measurement of Public Opinion

The Challenge of Measuring Public Opinion Measurement through elections – Election Measurement through elections – Election

results are at best only indicative of the results are at best only indicative of the vague, general direction of public opinionvague, general direction of public opinion

Measurement Through Interest Groups – Measurement Through Interest Groups – Interest groups make public opinion known Interest groups make public opinion known to political leaders, but the strength of their to political leaders, but the strength of their support is difficult to gaugesupport is difficult to gauge

The Challenge of Measuring Public Opinion Measurement Through the Media – Measurement Through the Media –

Contrary to what is often said, the media are Contrary to what is often said, the media are not accurate mirrors of public opinionnot accurate mirrors of public opinion

Measurement Through Personal Contacts – Measurement Through Personal Contacts – Public officials keep in touch with large Public officials keep in touch with large numbers of people, but these contacts do numbers of people, but these contacts do not necessarily help them to gauge public not necessarily help them to gauge public opinionopinion

Polls

The Best Measure of Public Opinion – The Best Measure of Public Opinion – Public opinion polls have been used for Public opinion polls have been used for more than 100 years but were not reliable more than 100 years but were not reliable until the 1930suntil the 1930s

Scientific Polling – Efforts to gauge public Scientific Polling – Efforts to gauge public opinion through scientific polling date from opinion through scientific polling date from the 1930s and have become increasingly the 1930s and have become increasingly sophisticatedsophisticated

Polls

The Polling Process – In order to take a The Polling Process – In order to take a scientific poll, pollsters must (a) define the scientific poll, pollsters must (a) define the universe to be surveyed, (b) construct a universe to be surveyed, (b) construct a sample, (c) prepare valid questions, (d) sample, (c) prepare valid questions, (d) select and control the means by which a select and control the means by which a poll will be taken, and (e) report their poll will be taken, and (e) report their findings to the public findings to the public

Evaluation of Polls

Polls are generally reliable and help to Polls are generally reliable and help to focus attention on public issuesfocus attention on public issues

It is difficult for polls to measure the It is difficult for polls to measure the intensity, stability, or relevance of the intensity, stability, or relevance of the opinions they studyopinions they study

Limits on the Force of Public Opinion

Public opinion is only one among many Public opinion is only one among many influences on public policyinfluences on public policy

Constitutional guidelines, such as the Constitutional guidelines, such as the separation of powers and the Bill of Rights, separation of powers and the Bill of Rights, are designed to check the power of the are designed to check the power of the majority in order to protect minority rightsmajority in order to protect minority rights

The Mass Media and Politics

An Overview of the Mass Media

Television – Television is the principal Television – Television is the principal source of political information for about 80 source of political information for about 80 percent of the populationpercent of the population

Newspapers – Newspapers, which can carry Newspapers – Newspapers, which can carry much more in-depth information than much more in-depth information than television news, are the second most television news, are the second most important source of political information in important source of political information in the United Statesthe United States

An Overview of the Mass Media

Radio – Since its advent in the 1920s, radio Radio – Since its advent in the 1920s, radio has played a major role in informing has played a major role in informing AmericansAmericans

Magazines – Major news magazines and Magazines – Major news magazines and journals of opinion are important sources of journals of opinion are important sources of political news and commentpolitical news and comment

The Media’s Impact on Politics

The Public Agenda – The issues on which The Public Agenda – The issues on which the media focus determine what the public the media focus determine what the public thinks about, if not what it thinksthinks about, if not what it thinks

Electoral Politics – Television has Electoral Politics – Television has influenced political campaigns by making influenced political campaigns by making candidates more concerned about public candidates more concerned about public “image” and less dependent on party “image” and less dependent on party organizations than ever beforeorganizations than ever before

Limits On Media Influence

Most Americans do not follow public Most Americans do not follow public affairs closelyaffairs closely

Those who do follow politics tend to select Those who do follow politics tend to select their sources of information to reflect and their sources of information to reflect and bolster opinions they already holdbolster opinions they already hold

Lack of public interest in politics limits the Lack of public interest in politics limits the amount of news that commercially oriented amount of news that commercially oriented mass media are able to presentmass media are able to present