This document discusses several key concepts relating to public opinion and political socialization. It defines public opinion and its components - collective political beliefs, of the public or subgroups, on important government issues. It also discusses factors that influence political socialization, such as family, peer groups, religion, media, national events, demographics and ideology. Finally, it notes some potential issues with public opinion polling through ambiguous, leading and biased word choice questions.

1. POL 140-03
Spring 2016

5.  Public opinion is:
 (1) Collective political beliefs and attitudes,
 (2) of the public, or groups within the public,
 (3) on matters important to government.

7.  Salience
 Issue’s important to a person or public
 Example: Gay Marriage vs. Economy
 Stability
 Are issues likely to stay the same or change?
 Direction
 Does public favor or oppose issue? (agree or disagree)
 Intensity
 How strongly do people feel about issues?

10. Children learn about politics through
informal conversations with parents
at meal times, gatherings, etc.

11. Children are broadly politically
socialized through formal education.

14. A peer group can include friends,
neighbors, and co-workers.
They can reinforce or refine
about the political system.

15. Religious institutions teach values relating to
law and authority, equality, and social justice.

16. Citizens turn to political leaders and institutions
when forming their political opinions.
Different political ideologies have different opinions on issues.

17. Political
socialization
can depend on
what the media
covers, how
they cover it,
and the
accessibility of
coverage.

19. Younger people may have
different attitudes and
beliefs from older
generations.
Example: Those coming of
age during WorldWar II
versus those who grew up
during theVietnamWar

20. National events like Watergate and 9/11
can affect someone’s political socialization.

23.  Economic Self-Interest
 Ideology and Partisanship
 Education
 Age
 Gender
 Race and Ethnicity
 Religion
 Geographic Region

42. This map represents voting trends
in the last four presidential elections
(2000, 2004, 2008, and 2012).
Which states are more Republican?
Which states are more Democratic?

52. George Gallup

55.  Ambiguous Questions
 Questions that are not clearly defined
 What is your income? How many children?
 Leading Questions
 Encourages respondents to choose response because
researcher expects it; “social desirability”
 Don’t you think that global warming is a serious environmental
problem?
 Word Choice
 Helping “the needy” vs. “those on welfare”
 “Going toWar” vs. “FightingTerrorism”