The dynamics of public opinion / Mary Layton Atkinson [and three others].

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Atkinson, Mary Layton, author.

Series:

Cambridge elements. Elements in American politics, 2515-1606.

Cambridge elements. Elements in American politics, 2515-1606

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Public opinion--Political aspects--United States.

Public opinion.

Political participation--United States.

Political participation.

United States--Politics and government--Public opinion.

United States.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (74 pages) : digital, PDF file(s).

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2021.

Summary:

A central question in political representation is whether government responds to the people. To understand that, we need to know what the government is doing, and what the people think of it. We seek to understand a key question necessary to answer those bigger questions: How does American public opinion move over time? We posit three patterns of change over time in public opinion, depending on the type of issue. Issues on which the two parties regularly disagree provide clear partisan cues to the public. For these party-cue issues we present a slight variation on the thermostatic theory from (Soroka and Wlezien (2010); Wlezien (1995)); our "implied thermostatic model." A smaller number of issues divide the public along lines unrelated to partisanship, and so partisan control of government provides no relevant clue. Finally, we note a small but important class of issues which capture response to cultural shifts.

Contents:

Cover

Title page

Copyright page

Elements in American Politics

Contents

1 Introduction

1.1 The Thermostat and the Implied Thermostat

1.1.1 Party Control and Public Inference

1.1.2 Giving Credit Where It Is Due

1.2 Three Kinds of Issues

1.2.1 Absolute and Thermostatic Opinion Change

1.2.2 Relative Preference Change

1.3 A Model of Aggregate Dynamics

1.3.1 Calibrating Dynamics

1.3.2 Absolute Preference Change

1.3.3 Constant Preferences

1.4 Developing Policy Specific Moods

1.4.1 Creating Policy-Specific Mood Series

1.5 Categorizing Issues

1.5.1 Validation

1.6 How Many Dimensions?

1.7 Plan of the Element

2 Implied Thermostatic Public Opinion Response to Changes in Partisan Control of Government

2.1 A Test for Implied Thermostatic Opinion Response

2.2 Partisan Issues

2.3 Nonpartisan Issues

2.4 Three Models of Opinion Change, and the "National Mood"

2.4.1 Three Issue Types Compared to the Mood

2.5 Cultural Shift Issues

2.6 Trending Beliefs about Equality

3 Absolute Opinion Change

3.1 Model of Absolute Opinion Change

3.2 Generational Replacement

3.2.1 Racial Attitudes

3.2.2 Gender Equality

3.2.3 LGBTQ Equality

3.3 Government Action on Equality

3.3.1 The disconnect between government action andpublic opinion

3.4 Deconstructing Racial Equality Mood

3.5 Deconstructing Women's Equality Mood

3.6 Deconstructing Gay Rights Mood

3.7 Belief and Action: Concluding Observations aboutEquality

4 Conclusion

4.1 Opinion Change over the Long Term

4.2 Movements for Equality and Partisan Politicsin Contemporary America

Appendix: Comparing the Survey Research Agenda tothe Congressional Agenda

References

Acknowledgments.

Notes:

Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 23 Sep 2021).

ISBN:

1-108-87243-3

1-108-87728-1

1-108-87126-7

OCLC:

1269076225