Public Opinion Those attitudes held by a significant of people on matters of government and politics. –However this term as actually difficult to define because many “publics” exist; each group of people with a different point of view is a separate public.

Family and Education Family is the most important tool of political socialization. Children, more often than not, develop the same political ideas their parents hold because so much time is spent together. Schools teach the value of the American political system and patriotism. Students spend 8 hours a day at school from ages 5-18.

Other Factors Occupation, race, gender, place of residence also influence one’s socialization. So does: –The mass media: those means of communication that reach large, widely dispersed audiences simultaneously. –Peer groups: made up of people with whom one regularly associates, including friends, neighbors and co-workers. –Opinion leaders: any person who has an unusually strong influence on the views of others.

Measuring Public Opinion Measuring public opinion is difficult because data drawn from a sample population only represents the views of that “public.” In order to attempt to measure public opinion, political scientists use four main tools: –Elections, interest groups, the media, and personal contacts –In a democracy, the voice of the people is supposed to express itself through the ballot box. Parties that win elections often claim a mandate –the people have given them the power to carry out their campaign promises.

Interest Groups Are private organizations whose members share certain views and work to shape public policy. –Their members work to spread the opinions of the group to make positive change.

Polls Polls are the best way to measure public opinion. –Public opinion poll – device that attempt to collect information by asking people questions. The most accurate polls are based on scientific polling techniques. Straw poll – polls that seek to read the public’s mind simply by asking the same question of a large number of people. George Gallup developed the first polling system that used scientific methods to conduct a public opinion poll.

The Polling Process 1.Defining the Universe – who are we trying to measure? 2.Constructing a Sample – how are we to measure our universe? Ask all of them? Ask only a sample of them? Will the sample be random? 3.Preparing Valid Questions – Don’t use loaded questions, emotionally charged words, or terms that are difficult to understand. 4.Interviewing – how will the poll be communicated to the poll-takers. 5.Analyze and Report the Findings.

Evaluating Polls Pollsters have trouble measuring three things: –Intensity – the strength of feeling with which an opinion is held –Stability – the relative permanence or changeableness of opinion –Relevance – how important a particular opinion is to the person who holds it. “Bandwagon effect” – people want to be on the winning side, and will often say they support the side that is currently perceived to be ahead.

The Mass Media 4 major forms of the mass media –Television – 98% of all households have a TV. Principal source of the news for 80% of the population. –Newspapers – The world’s principal source of political information from There are still over 10,000 newspapers published in the United States. –Radio/Internet – is conveniently available in places where TV is not. –Magazines – 12,000 magazines published in the U.S. with a combined circulation of 10 million copies a week.

The Media and Public Policy The two areas that the media are most visible are in: –The public agenda: the media informs the public about the important issues. –Electoral politics: the media has made political candidates less reliant on their party for spreading the message because television allows them to appeal directly to the people.