Mass Media and Public Opinion Chapter 8

MEASURING PUBLIC OPINION Section 2

Measuring Public Opinion In the American political system, information about public opinion is critically important. – Elections, interest groups, the media, and personal contacts with the public all provide a means through which the measurement of public opinion can take place.

Elections Election results are often taken to be an indicator of public opinion – A mandate refers to the instructions or commands a constituency gives to its elected officials. – Election results to not match public opinion exactly so can not be taken as absolute.

Interest Groups Interest groups are private organizations whose members share certain views and objectives and work to shape public policies. – They are the means by which public opinion is made known. – Interest groups don’t necessarily represent all of the people, however.

The Media The media are also a gauge of public opinion. – Are both “mirrors” and “molders” of public opinion. – Can sometimes be only a mirror of a vocal minority.

Personal Contacts Public officials often meet with constituents (those whom they represent) to understand the public’s mind on issues. – Some public officials are better at gauging public opinion through these contacts than others.

Public Opinion Polls Public opinion polls are devices that attempt to collect information by asking people questions. – Straw votes – asking the same question of a large group of people. Not very accurate – Scientific polling – scientific based statistical analysis of multiple respondents from a truly random sampling of citizens.

The Polling Process Scientific polling is extremely complex, Pollsters must – 1 Define the universe to be surveyed A universe is a term that means the whole population that the poll aims to measure – 2 Construct a sample A representative slice of the total universe – 3 Prepare valid questions – 4 Select and control how the poll will be taken – 5 Analyze and report their findings to the public.

Evaluating Polls Major national polls are fairly reliable Regional surveys tend to be fairly accurate too. Pollsters have difficulty measuring intensity and stability of public opinion. Pollsters may shape results if they are not purely objective Polls are the most useful tools for measuring public opinion.

Limits on the Impact of Polls Public opinion is a major force behind political policy but is not the only factor. – Governmental structure is not designed to completely reflect public opinion. – Civil rights protect minority interests. – Civic virtue?