04 Public Opinion

Gay and lesbian rights are among the most controversial and emotional subjects in American politics.

Public Opinion and Public Policy

Agenda Building

• Government officials are unlikely to ignore an issue that is important to a large part of the general public. If polls show that voters are concerned about healthcare, then candidates and officials discuss healthcare.

Policy Formulation and Adoption

• Public officials consider public opinion during policy formulation and adoption because they recognize that a future political opponent could raise the issue during an election campaign. They try to choose policy options within the range of options acceptable to the public on a particular issue; otherwise they risk electoral defeat.
• Public opinion affects policy formulation and adoption not by dictating policy but by limiting options. Public opinion sets the range of acceptable alternatives, but other factors, including the influence of interest groups and political parties, come into play.

Policy Implementation and Evaluation

• Policymakers consider public opinion, at least indirectly, during policy implementation. Officials enforce policies that enjoy broad public support more aggressively than policies that are controversial. The Supreme Court’s decision against state-sponsored prayer in schools enjoys relatively little public support. Many school officials ignore violations unless parents complain
• Public opinion influences evaluation because public officials are more likely to scrutinize policies that have proved unpopular. Congress and the press are more likely to investigate a program that is perceived as ineffective by the public than they are to scrutinize a program that is widely regarded as successful.

Key Terms

Biased Sample

a sample that tends to produce results that do not reflect the true characteristics of the universe because it is unrepresentative of the universe

Civil Union

a legal partnership between two men or two women that gives the couple all the benefits, protections, and responsibilities under law that are granted to spouses in a traditional marriage

Conservatism

the political philosophy that government power undermines the development of the individual and diminishes society as a whole

Constituency

the district from which an officeholder is elected

Constituents

the people an officeholder represents

External Political Efficacy

the assessment of an individual of the responsiveness of government to his or her concerns

Federal Preemption of State Authority

an act of Congress adopting regulatory policies that overrule state policies in a particular regulatory area

Global Warming

the gradual warming of the Earth’s atmosphere caused by burning fossil fuels and industrial pollutants Internal Political Efficacy the assessment by an individual of his or her personal ability to influence the policymaking process

Isolationism

the view that the United States should stay out of the affairs of other nations

Latent Opinion

what public opinion would be at election time if a political opponent made a public official’s position on the issue the target of a campaign attack

Left Wing

liberal

Liberalism

the political philosophy that favors the use of government power to foster the development of the individual and promote the welfare of society

Margin of Error

a statistical term that refers to the accuracy of a survey

Political Efficacy

the extent to which individuals believe they can influence the policymaking process

Political Elites

the people who exercise a major influence on the policymaking process

Political Left

liberalism

Political Legitimacy

the popular acceptance of a government and its officials as rightful authorities in the exercise of power

Political Right

conservatism

Random Sample

a sample in which each member of the universe has an equal likelihood of being included

Religious Left

those who hold liberal views because of their religious beliefs

Religious Right

those who hold conservative views because of their religious beliefs

Right Wing

conservative

Sample

a subset of a universe

Survey Research

the measurement of public opinion

Universe

the population survey researchers wish to study

Zone of Acquiescence

the range of policy options acceptable to the public on a particular issue

Discussion Questions

1. What role does each of the following play in the socialization process: the family, schools, religious institutions, peer groups, the media, and events?

2. What is the concept of margin of error? What steps must researchers take to ensure a representative sample?

3. How well informed are Americans about politics and government? Are some groups of people better informed than others? Why are some scholars worried about the relatively low level of political knowledge in the country? 4. Are Americans growing more or less tolerant of political diversity?

5. Distinguish between liberalism and conservatism. Do more Americans consider themselves liberal, conservative, or moderate?

Interactive Activity

Debate: Are You a Liberal or a Conservative?

A person's political ideology frames the way they see a wide range of issues. In this debate activity, you will learn how an individual's political views are shaped. In addition, you will determine your own personal political ideology. Are you a liberal or a conservative, or perhaps something else? What forces have helped to shape your political views?

View Debate

“Talking About American Government” Podcasts

Author Neal Tannahill discusses the most important concepts in this chapter

• Sampling in Survey Research
• Margin of Error in Survey Research
• Question Wording in Survey Research
• Liberalism and Conservatism