Chapter 6

Question 1

What is public opinion and why does it matter?

Answer 1

Citizens’ opinions about politics and government actions.

It matters because it:
- Explains the behavior of citizens and public officials
- Helps explain policy outcomes

Question 2

2 types of opinions

Answer 2

1. Broad expressions of preferences across a wide range of topics; formed early in life, these are fairly stable and include party identification, general ideology (ie. liberal versus conservative), and beliefs about religion.
2. Opinions created “on-the-spot” when needed are latent opinions; latent, on-the-spot opinions are formed by considerations, the relevant information that comes to mind when an opinion is requested. Political knowledge decreases latent opinions.

Question 3

Political socialization

Answer 3

A process whereby political opinions are shaped by one’s parents, family, community, and culture. Political opinions such as events, group identity, and political actors.

Question 4

2 ways to measure public opinion

Answer 4

Mass Survey is a way to measure public opinion by interviewing a large sample of the population. Most info comes from this. It’s a sample of a population used to understand the entire population.

Focus Groups are small groups of people interviewed in a group setting. Cannot be applied to the rest of the country’s opinion.

Question 5

Sampling error (Margin of error)

Answer 5

The predicted difference between the average opinion expressed by survey respondents and the average opinion in the population. Increasing the number of respondents lowers the sampling error. Ideal number is 2%.

Large samples (>1000) are much more likely to provide accurate info about population opinions than small ones (<500).
Be cautious when you read about small differences in survey responses, as these patterns are unlikely to hold true in the entire population.

Question 6

Challenges with public opinion polling

Answer 6

Problems with random sampling:
- Face-to-face interviewing is best, but it is difficult to generate a random sample
- Random digit dialing is useful, but the inability to call cell phone numbers may be a
problem
- Robo-polls and Internet polls raise criticism and doubts about sample selection

Unreliable respondents (social desirability bias):
- Sometimes people are reluctant to reveal their opinions

Also, how the question is worded and the timing of the survey.

Question 7

Accuracy of public opinion

Answer 7

Some people may not take surveys as seriously as we assume.
The more relevant the survey question is to one’s everyday life, the more seriously the respondent tends to treat the question.
Most accurate when questions are easy to understand, the topic is familiar, and multiple surveys confirm the same result.

Question 8

Does public opinion matter?

Answer 8

Yes, it is relevant. Politicians and academics spend lots of time and resources trying to figure out what people think.
Public opinion influences government. Politicians behave in line with their constituents’ opinions.