POLI 319 Lecture 6: Public Opinions - January 18th
13 May 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Public Opinions - January 18th
• Definition: how people think/feel about particular things, including but not limited to
politics and government
• Influenced by demographics, partisanship, political ideology, political socialization and the
family, political culture
What are the links between public opinion, politics, and government
• Public opinion vs. political pressure
• Election campaigns
• Crises and scandals
Is public opinion directly determined/influenced by political culture?
• Two different but related notions
• Political culture, identity, and political positions
• Oversimplification and ‘normal America’
Public opinion and election campaigns
• As the public, we watch the news and are exposed to surveys on what people think, what
candidates think about certain issues (3-5 dominating issues), candidates think they need
to convince the largest amount of people within certain subgroups
• Modern campaigning deploys considerable effort and means to achieve several parallel
objectives
o Identify potential voters
o Reach out to these voters in a way to which they are receptive
o Convince these voters to support a candidate or platform
o Make sure that they actually go vote on election day
• In recent elections, this has become a highly technical and professional issue
o Advances data analysis and modern campaign strategies
o Use of technology and online social networking
o Sampling, polling, and measurement
Exercise
• There is conflict over whether CEOs and executives should be paid millions when
employees are paid much less
o What are the positions here? What are the arguments?
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Public opinions - january 18th: definition: how people think/feel about particular things, including but not limited to politics and government. Influenced by demographics, partisanship, political ideology, political socialization and the family, political culture. What are the links between public opinion, politics, and government: public opinion vs. political pressure, election campaigns, crises and scandals. Is public opinion directly determined/influenced by political culture: two different but related notions, political culture, identity, and political positions, oversimplification and normal america". Identify potential voters: reach out to these voters in a way to which they are receptive, convince these voters to support a candidate or platform, make sure that they actually go vote on election day. In recent elections, this has become a highly technical and professional issue: advances data analysis and modern campaign strategies, use of technology and online social networking, sampling, polling, and measurement.
