126 CHAPTER 5|PUBLIC OPINION AND THE MEDIA
A second question concerns the quality of public opinion in America. Candidates,
political parties, journalists, and political scientists take thousands of polls to
determine who is likely to vote; what sorts of arguments, slogans, and platforms
would appeal to these voters; and which policies are in demand by the electorate.
Yet some scholars have argued that most Americans make up their responses to
survey questions on the spot, have no fi rm opinions about government policy, and
are easily swayed by candidates, advocacy groups, or the media.^4 In other words,
what do people mean when they say they support marriage rights for gays and
lesbians? What does it mean when people say they are opposed?
This chapter shows that Americans hold measurable opinions on a wide range
of topics and that these opinions shape their political behavior. The fact that most
people can express a wide range of opinions about politics and public policy is
one of the strongest pieces of evidence for the idea that politics is everywhere.
We examine the sources of public opinion, from everyday events to what
politicians say and do, to biological explanations as well as group characteristics
such as race, gender, and ethnicity. We consider how politicians take account of
public opinion—how their campaign strategies, as well as their actions in offi ce
(in particular, their willingness to compromise policy differences), are shaped by
information about what the public wants or might want in the future.
The case of gay marriage also illustrates one way that these confl icts are
resolved, which is by “generational replacement.” Many polis have found a
gradual shift in American public opinion over the last generation toward support
for single-sex marriage. In the main, this shift is the result of the replacement
of older Americans, who tend to oppose gay marriage, by younger Americans,
who are much more likely to support this policy. If this trend continues, citizen
support for single-sex marriage will gradually increase, leading additional states
to adopt legislation or referenda to allow single-sex marriage. These shifts in
opinion also make it much less likely that Congress will enact legislation or a
constitutional amendment to ban such marriages.
As you will see, process matters in the way individual opinions are formed
and the methods used to measure public opinion. These processes shape what
people demand from government and how politicians respond to those demands.
While most Americans are not policy experts, they tend to think about politics
in the same way that they think about most things in their lives. Aside from a
few broad principles, such as party identifi cation, that typically form early in
life, opinions take form only when they are needed, such as when people vote
on Election Day or answer a survey question. In other words, relatively few
Americans form concrete opinions about issues such as same-sex marriage until
they are asked about the policy in a survey. This process of opinion formation has
important consequences for how we should interpret survey results.
Finally, examining American public opinion allows us to identify issues where
Americans disagree on policy questions and to better understand the political
confl icts they raise. We will also see that although Americans disagree about
many important issues, profound polarization (such as in current polls on same-
sex marriage) is relatively rare, meaning that compromise is sometimes easier
to reach than you might think. When polls are designed to tap consensus, they
reveal that on a wide range of policy questions, most Americans hold opinions
that are squarely in the middle of the political spectrum. Thus, there is little
evidence of a “culture war” in American politics. Although much of this chapter
details how Americans disagree, and the generational and demographic sources
of these splits, it is important to remember that disagreement does not always
exist, and when it does, acceptable compromises often can be found.CHAPTER goals
Defi ne public opinion, and
explain why it matters in
American politics.
¾ PAGES 127–29
Explain how people form
political attitudes and
opinions.
¾ PAGES 129–34
Describe basic survey
methods and potential
issues affecting accuracy.
¾ PAGES 134–38
Present fi ndings on what
Americans think about
major political issues.
¾ PAGES 139–45
Describe the major types
of news sources and the
role they play in American
politics.
¾ PAGES 145–53