PUBLIC OPINION

The collection of attitudes and views held by the general public What is Public Opinion? The collection of attitudes and views held by the general public

The Problem of Defining Public Opinion Very difficult to assess- Public is uninformed Public changes its mind Problems with polling techniques

Measuring Public Opinion George Gallup - Father of polling - belief in common man’s ideas

Steps in taking a poll 1. Define your universe 2. Random sample 3. Wording of questions Comprehensible Asked fairly Answer categories

4. Margin of error Less than 5% is considered a good survey

Origins of Political Attitudes The process of political socialization 1. Family 2. School 3. Peers 4. Media 5. Religion

Politics, like other aspects of life, is learned behavior. All of these factors help create public opinion

What do liberalism and conservatism mean? Differ on the role of government Differ on social problems Liberals advocate gov’t action to assist the disadvantage – Social programs Differ on economic issues Conservatives believe regulations involve undue interference with the market economy Differ on social issues Trade positions on the role of gov’t. Ex. abortion

Table 5.4: African American and White Opinion

Table 5.2: The Gender Gap: Differences in Political Views of Men and Women