1. Public Opinion, Political Socialization and the Media
Chapter 6
Public Opinion, Political Socialization and the Media

2. Defining Public Opinion
Public Opinion – the aggregate of individual attitudes or beliefs shared by some portion of the adult population
Consensus opinions – when there is general agreement among the citizenry on an issue
Divisive opinions – when public opinion is polarized between two quite different positions

3. Figure 6-1: Consensus Opinion
QUESTION: Do you approve or disapprove of the way George W. Bush handled his job as president in the first few weeks after the September 11 terrorist attacks?
SOURCE: The Gallup Poll, January 23-25, 2003

4. Figure 6-2: Divisive Opinion
QUESTION: Do you approve or disapprove of the way George W. Bush has handled his job as president over the past few weeks?
SOURCE: The Gallup Poll, January 23-25, 2003

5. Aspects of Polling Techniques
simple random sample – each member of the population has an equal chance of being selected for the sample
quota sample – a less accurate technique wherein polling organizations predetermine the characteristics of the needed sample, and then find respondents with those characteristics to fill the slots
sampling error – the difference between a sample’s results and the result if the entire population had been interviewed

6. Political Socialization
Defined as the process by which individuals acquire political beliefs and attitudes
How are Americans socialized?
Family
Education
Peers
Religion
Economic Status
Political Events
Opinion Leaders
Media
Demographics
Gender Gap

7. Party Identification from Parent to Child
Democrat
Independent
Republican
Both Parents Democrats
59%
29%
13%
Both Parents Independents
17%
67%
16%
Both Parents Republicans
12%
Children generally follow in their parents’ footsteps when it comes to political party identification.
SOURCE: 1992 National Election Study Center for Political Studies, University of Michigan

8. Table 6-1: Trends in Political Trust
QUESTION: How much of the time do you think you can trust the government in Washington to do what is right – just about always, most of the time, or only some of the time?
1968
1972
1974
1976
1978
1980
1982
1984
1986
1988
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2001
2002
% saying:
Always/
Most of the time
Some of the time 61 36 53 45 33 63 29 67 25 73 32 64 46 51 42 55 44 54 27 23 75 20 79 71 34 66 40 59 35 52
SOURCES: New York Times/CBS News Surveys; the University of Michigan Survey Research Center, National Election Studies; the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press; Council for Excellence in Government; a Washington Post poll, September 25-27, 2001; and a Gallup poll, September 2-4, 2002.

9. Table 6-2: Confidence in Institutions Trend
QUESTION: I am going to read a list of institutions in American society. Would you please tell me how much confidence you, yourself, have in each one – a great deal, quite a lot, some, or very little?
Percentage Saying “Great Deal” or “Quite a Lot”
1977
1979
1981
1983
1985
1987
1989
1991
1993
1995
1997
1999
2001
2002
2003
Military 57 54 50 53 61 63 69 67 64 60 68 66 79 82
Church or organized religion 65 62 52 56 58 45
Banks and banking na 46 51 42 30 38 43 41 44 47
U.S. Supreme Court 39 49
Public schools 48 35 40 36
Television 25 29 28 24 21 33 34
Newspapers 31 32
Congress 18 19 22 26
Organized labor 23
Big business 20
na = not asked
SOURCE: Gallup poll, June 9-10, 2003.

10. The Media’ Functions in the United States
entertainment
reporting the news
identifying public problems
setting the public agenda
socializing new generations
providing a political forum
making profits

11. The Media and Political Campaigns
advertising
the management of news coverage (spin)
presidential debates
the media’s impact on voters

12. Political Ad Spending on Broadcast TV, 1992-2000
Millions of Dollars
SOURCE: Television Bureau of Advertising, as presented in Lorraine Woellert and Tom Lowry, “A Political Nightmare: Not Enough Airtime,” Business Week, November 23, 2000, p. 111.

13. Audiences Reached by Leading Media
ABC
9,940,000
Time
4,122,699
New York Times
1,258,853
Chicago Tribune
669,629
CBS
8,020,000
NBC
9,950,000
Los Angeles
1,135,682
Times
Newsweek
3,147,497
Washington Post
658,828

14. Hot Links to Selected Internet Resources:
Book’s Companion Site:
Wadsworth’s Political Science Site:
Yale University Library Public Opinion Subject Guide:
National Election Studies:
The Gallup Organization:
U-Wire.com: