I. The Formation of Public Opinion
A. Complex collection of opinions of many different persons
B. Attitudes held by significant number of persons on government and politics
C. Factors shaping public opinion
1. Family
2. Education
3. Opinion leaders
a. Someone with more than usual influence on others' views
b. Politicians, clergymen, writers, business leaders
4. Mass media
5. Other factors
II. The Measurement of Public Opinion
A. Measurement through Public Opinion
1. Elections
a. Mandate-the instructions or commands a constituency gives to elected officials
b. Useful indicators of public opinion
2. Interest Groups
a. Private organizations to shape the making and content of public policy
b. Also known as pressure groups or special interest groups
3. Measurement through the Media
4. Measurement through Personal Contacts
a. Writing, calling elected officials
b. Visits with constituents
B. Polls - The Best Measure of Public Opinion
1. Public opinion poll
a. Device that attempts to collect information about public opinion by asking people questions
b. More accurate ones based on scientific polling techniques
2. Straw votes
a. Unscientific
b. Made by asking the same question to a large number of people
c. Highly unreliable because it emphasizes quantity, not quality
d. Highly unreliable because it does not include a cross section of people
3. Scientific polling
a. Started in 1930's
b. More than 200 polling outfits today for political preferences
4. Polling Process - Five Steps
a. Define universe (the whole population needed to measure) to be surveyed
b. Construct a sample
(1) Sample means a representative slice of universe
(2) Random sample means chosen through chance
(3) Quota sample means people deliberately selected to reflect major percentage of the characteristics of the group
c. Prepare valid questions
d. Select and control the means by which the poll will be taken
e. Report findings to public
C. Evaluation of Polls
1. Bandwagon effect
2. Difficult to measure intensity, stability, relevance
D. Limits on the Force of Public Opinion
III. Mass Media and Politics
A. Overview of Mass Media
1. Medium (plural is media) means a means of communication; transmitting information
2. Mass Media is communication that can reach large, widely dispersed groups simultaneously
B. TV
1. Has most influence on Americans
2. Principle source of information for 80% of the US population
C. Newspaper
1. Freedom of the press guaranteed by the Constitution in 1791
2. More than 10,000 published in the US
D. Radio
E. Magazines
F. Media's Impact on Politics
1. Public agenda
a. TV makes candidates less dependant on party organizations
b. Sound bites-snappy reports that can be aired in 30-45 seconds
2. Electoral Politics
3. Limits on Media Influence
