American Public Opinion: Its Origins, Content and Impact

by Robert S. Erikson, Kent L. Tedin

Critically analyzes the integral role public opinion plays in American democracy Providing an in-depth analysis of public opinion, beginning with its origins in political socialization, the impact of the media, the extent and breadth of democratic values, and the role of public opinion in the electoral process, "American Public Opinion "goes beyond a simple presentation of data to include a critical analysis of the role of public opinion in American democracy.

Genres: College, Political Science

400 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1973

Reviews

[Steven Peterson]

This edition was published in 1991; thus, it is somewhat dated. Nonetheless, in its time it was a fine textbook on public opinion in the United States. I used this once as a textbook in my political science class on public opinion. Students seemed to appreciate the book, and that is always a plus if you are teaching a class!

The book begins with some theoretical discussion. For instance, what are the ways that public opinion might affect policy decisions in a democracy? The book addresses that issue. The work also considers how one would study public opinion (survey research is the dominant mode of study).

After that, chapters on a variety of aspects of public opinion, such as ideology, party identification, position on the issues; political socialization (how we come to learn about politics); group differences in public opinion; the role of the media regarding public opinion; how public opinion might affect decision making by government.

All in all, a satisfying work. A key plus: linking public opinion with actual decisions made.

[Addie Lovell]

american politics are a circus and everyone involved is the clown