The rational public : fifty years of trends in Americans' policy preferences / Benjamin I. Page and Robert Y. Shapiro.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Page, Benjamin I.

Contributor:

Shapiro, Robert Y., 1953-

Series:

American politics and political economy.

American politics and political economy series

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Public opinion--United States--History--20th century.

Public opinion.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xvi, 489 pages) : illustrations

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Chicago : University of Chicago Press, 1992.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

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.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Contents

Tables and Figures

Preface

1. Rational Public Opinion

2. The Myth of Capricious Change

3. Opinions about Social Issues

4. Economic Welfare

5. Foreign Policy: World War II and the Cold War

6. Vietnam, Detente, and the New Cold War

7. Parallel Publics

8. The Causes of Collective Opinion Change

9. Education and Manipulation of Public Opinion

10. Democracy,Information,and the Rational Public

Appendix to Figures

Notes

Bibliography

Index

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (p. 441-466) and index.

Description based upon print version of record.

ISBN:

9786612679193

9781282679191

1282679198

9780226644806

0226644804

OCLC:

650531130