American Public Opinion: Its Origin, Contents, and Impact, Update Edition

by Robert S. Erikson, Kent L. Tedin

*HH03, American Public Opinion: Its Contents, Origins and Impact, 5/e, Robert S. Erikson(University of Houston), Kent Tedin(University of Houston), U2094-3, 400 pp., 6 x 9, 0-023-34042-8, paperbound, 1995, $21.75nk, December*/This comprehensive book covers all phases of public opinion, including its development as a field, sampling, question wording, and substantive findings. It explicitly links public opinion to policy outcomes. This edition has been thoroughly updated to reflect the major research in the field.

Genres: College, Political Science

400 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1973

Reviews

[Steven Peterson · Rating 3 out of 5]

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