The Rational Public: Fifty Years of Trends in Americans' Policy PreferencesUniversity of Chicago Press, 27/05/2010 - 506 páginas This monumental study is a comprehensive critical survey of the policy preferences of the American public, and will be the definitive work on American public opinion for some time to come. Drawing on an enormous body of public opinion data, Benjamin I. Page and Robert Y. Shapiro provide the richest available portrait of the political views of Americans, from the 1930's to 1990. They not only cover all types of domestic and foreign policy issues, but also consider how opinions vary by age, gender, race, region, and the like. The authors unequivocally demonstrate that, notwithstanding fluctuations in the opinions of individuals, collective public opinion is remarkably coherent: it reflects a stable system of values shared by the majority of Americans and it responds sensitively to new events, arguments, and information reported in the mass media. While documenting some alarming case of manipulation, Page and Shapiro solidly establish the soundness and value of collective political opinion. The Rational Public provides a wealth of information about what we as a nation have wanted from government, how we have changed our minds over the years, and why. For anyone interested in the short- and long-term trends in Americans' policy preferences, or eager to learn what Americans have thought about issues ranging from racial equality to the MX missile, welfare to abortion, this book offers by far the most sophisticated and detailed treatment available. |
Índice
1 | |
2 The Myth of Capricious Change | 37 |
3 Opinions about Social Issues | 67 |
4 Economic Welfare | 117 |
World War I1 and the Cold War | 172 |
6 Vietnam Detente and the New Cold War | 221 |
7 Parallel Publics | 285 |
8 The Causes of Collective Opinion Change | 321 |
9 Education and Manipulation of Public Opinion | 355 |
10 Democracy Information and the Rational Public | 383 |
Appendix to Figures | 399 |
Notes | 421 |
Bibliography | 441 |
467 | |
Outras edições - Ver tudo
The Rational Public: Fifty Years of Trends in Americans' Policy Preferences Benjamin I. Page,Robert Y. Shapiro Pré-visualização indisponível - 1992 |
Palavras e frases frequentes
abortion according administration American public approval April attitudes blacks capital punishment CBS/NYT Chap Chapter China citizens civil rights Cold War collective opinion collective policy preferences collective public opinion Communist concerning countries defense Democrats détente domestic dropped early economic effects elites especially example Federalist Paper figure fluctuations foreign policy Gallup found groups Harris important income increased individuals interpretations involvement Israel issues June Korean Korean War less mass media military misleading missile moved movement Nicaragua Nixon NORC-GSS nuclear October officials opinion changes opinion leadership opinion trends OPOR peace percentage points political polls President programs proportion of Americans public support QUESTION Gallup QUESTION NORC Reagan relations reported responses rise rose Shapiro Soviet Union spending SRC/CPS stable subgroups substantial Survey dates survey questions taxes tended tion U.S. troops United Nations Vietnam Vietnam War wanted World War II