The Politics of Public Opinion

Sum of many individual opinions, beliefs, or attitudes about a public person or issue

• Political Socialization

• Public Opinion

• Agents of Socialization

• Representative Sample

Gender and Ethnicity, News Media, Peer Groups, Family, Schools, Religion

• Political Socialization

• Public Opinion

• Agents of Socialization

• Representative Sample

The process by which we are trained to understand and join a country’s political world, and, like most forms of socialization, it starts when we are very young

• Political Socialization

• Public Opinion

• Agents of Socialization

• Representative Sample

Informal polls, informally collect opinions of a non-random population or group

• Random Sample

• Representative Sample

• Straw Poll

• Exit Poll

During an election and interviewers stand at the polling places on Election Day to ask voters how they voted, there is always the possibility the poll results will be wrong

• Random Sample

• Representative Sample

• Straw Poll

• Exit Poll

Consists of a group whose demographic distribution is similar to that of the overall population

• Random Sample

• Representative Sample

• Straw Poll

• Exit Poll

Consists of a limited number of people from the overall population, selected in such a way that each has an equal chance of being chosen

• Random Sample

• Representative Sample

• Straw Poll

• Exit Poll

Consider the following question that is asked on a poll:

"Do you approve of President's Trump's job performance as President?"

Which of the following is an example of a leading question asked directly before this question?

• Where do you live?

• Have you or your family members benefited from the economic boost during the Trump Presidency?

• How satisfied are you with your current school building?

• How do you feel about the current Domestic Growth Production?

All of the following are examples of how public opinion is important in a democracy EXCEPT....

• Acts a guide

• Acts as a growth

• Acts as a guard

• Acts as glue

This type of poll helps to decide what the candidate’s message should be and what voters care about.

• Exit Polls

• Benchmark Polls

• Tracking Polls