Part I. What should the role of citizens be in a democratic society? -- Public opinion in a democracy -- Appendix. Studying public opinion empirically -- Part II. Are citizens pliable? -- Political socialization -- Mass media -- Attitude stability and attitude change -- Part III. Do citizens organize their political thinking? -- Ideology, partisanship, and polarization -- Roots of public opinion: personality, self-interest, values and history -- Roots of public opinion: the central role of groups -- Part IV. Do citizens endorse and demonstrate democratic basics? -- Knowledge, interest, and attention to politics -- Support for civil liberties -- Support for civil rights -- Part V. What is the relationship between citizens and their government? -- Trust in government, support for institutions, and social capital -- Impact of public opinion on policy -- Part VI. What do we make of public opinion in a democracy? -- Conclusion.
Summary:
"Clawson and Oxley link the enduring normative questions of democratic theory to existing empirical research on public opinion. Organized around a series of questions-In a democratic society, what should be the relationship between citizens and their government? Are citizens' opinions pliable? Are they knowledgeable, attentive, and informed?-the text explores the tension between ideals and their practice. Each chapter focuses on exemplary studies, explaining not only the conclusion of the research, but how it was conducted, so students gain a richer understanding of the research process and see methods applied in context"-- Provided by publisher.
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