PUBLIC OPINION Public opinion is the aggregate of

PUBLIC OPINION Public opinion is the aggregate of individual attitudes or beliefs. Public opinion can also be defined as the complex collection of opinions of many different people and the sum of all their views, or as a single opinion held by an individual about a social or political topic.

U. S. CONSTITUTION v Article I : U. S. House members elected every 2 years; v Amendment #1 – Free Speech/Press v Amendment 17 – Direct Election of U. S. Senators

JOHN STUART MILL v “On Liberty” - Elected Officials only owe their constituents when voting and shaping policy: THEIR BEST JUDGEMENT!!! Don’t follow majority; people are fickle!

PUBLIC OPINION - SCIENCE v Public Opinion can be measured. It is “empirical” because it can be quantified. - Public opinion polls in the United States appear to have become as American as apple pie, Coca-Cola, baseball, and our flag. Generally based on a set of interviews and/or written questions, polls are used to determine/predict. . . v What people believe; v How they feel about something; or v In what way they will act. -Polls (George Gallup); Surveys; etc.

OPINION POLL v Any poll must have an Opinion Poll: METHODOLOGY! ( the way by how which they come to their results – the who, what, where, and why of a poll) v George Gallup- in 1947, he pioneered survey sampling techniques and inventor of the Gallup poll, a successful statistical method of survey sampling for measuring public opinion

OPINION METHODOLOGY v SAMPLE FRAME - is the source material or device from which a sample is drawn. It is a list of all those within a population who can be sampled, and may include individuals, households or institutions - What is being asked!!!

SAMPLING/SAMPLE FRAME v One of the best ways to achieve unbiased results in a study is through random sampling. RANDOM SAMPLING!! v Random sampling includes choosing subjects from a population through unpredictable means. In its simplest form, subjects all have an equal chance of being selected out of the population being researched. i. e. every 4 th voter.

POPULATION/FRAME v Who Was Interviewed? - Under What Conditions Were The Interviews Conducted. v When Was the Poll Conducted? -Who Conducted the Poll? - How were the questions asked (survey, web, face-toface, etc) Types of Question: Open or Closed-Ended?

MARGIN OF ERROR v Polling organizations indicate what the potential for error of their poll is. Based on the size of their sample it is statistically possible to do sod indicates reliability to the reader. Usually in politics: +/- 3% to 4% Sports/Entertainment: +/- 1 to 2% Why the difference?

HALO EFFECT v Respondents also tend to provide socially respectable answers. Make them feel good; not rude or ignorant. It is a cognitive bias by which one's judgments of a person’s character can be influenced by one's overall impression of him or her. v Apathy and ignorance. Questions? ?

POLITICAL SOCIALIZATION v Why do you like politics? Go to political meetings? v Keep up with current events? v Republican? Democratic/ Independent? Like or dislike Obama? v Phenomenon:

POLITICAL SOCIALIZATION v Political socialization is a lifelong process by which people form their ideas about politics and acquire political values. - The “study of the developmental processes by which children and adolescents acquire political cognition, attitudes, and behaviors.

AGENTS OF POLITICAL SOCIALIZATION v 1. Family - Most important shaper of basic attitudes Teaches basic political values & loyalty to particular political party and other elements of civic engagement v 2. Schools – Teach patriotism and American mythology Early grades build on and reinforce positive learning. Liberal or conservative? v 3. Peers – Limited in effect because of self-selection Peer group in youth affects mostly “lifestyle issues. ” Can make a difference at college level!!

AGENTS “CONT” v 4. Mass Media – Effect difficult to measure but substantial Promotes cynicism about government Agenda Setting : - Telling us what to think about Framing – Tells us what to think about what is presented v 5. Political leaders and institutions. -Relationships with them

AGENTS “CONT” v 6. Churches and Religion Religious right and religious left; v 7. Community; Region; Race; Sexual Orientation; Gender; Class; etc. 8. Cyber-World (tweeter; facebook; access from smart phones; etc

WHAT ARE YOU? ? ? v Liberal? Conservative? What? ? How do you feel about the political system and your American Government? ? v Play a GAME!!!! – The Caiazzo Political Game!!

CAIAZZO POLITICAL GAME v Game Theory 10 Political Questions with the “C” and “L” stance. 1. Abortion; 2. Gay Right; 3. Gun Control; 4. Capital Punishment; 5. Euthanasia; 6. Legalization of Marijuana; 7) Religion in School; 8) Animal Rights; 9. Sex Education in School; and, 10) Immigration. What are you? ?

END! v Questions? ? ? v Next session: the MASS MEDIA!!!