Public Opinion and Research

Public Opinion: Definitions and Research

Introduction

  • This lecture covers the meaning of public opinion and public opinion research. It emphasizes the importance of the assigned reading for understanding the conceptual foundations of the course.
  • After this lecture, students should be able to:
    • Differentiate between a crowd, a mass, and a public.
    • Use these terms appropriately in different contexts.
    • Define public opinion and identify its key elements.

What is Public Opinion?

  • Public opinion refers to the opinions of many people.
  • Traditionally, public opinion was studied through surveys and polls, like those conducted by the Pew Research Center, which quantitatively analyzed people's opinions (e.g., on gun laws).
  • Today, the public expresses opinions more freely through various media platforms, especially social media, often without being prompted.
  • Each individual in the public can have a voice in the public sphere.

Three Principal Axes of Public Opinion

  • Public opinion can be understood through three main axes:
    • Politics
    • Communication
    • Social process

Public Opinion and Politics

  • Public opinion is translated into policies.
  • It plays a substantial role in creating public policy (e.g., the Iraq War, policy reforms).
  • Politicians consider public opinion when making decisions.

Public Opinion and Communication

  • The media constructs political reality.
  • Drawing from Marshall McLuhan, the media shapes our perception of the world, influencing what the public considers important.
  • Mass media paints a picture of the world and communicates it to the public.

Public Opinion as a Social Process

  • Public opinion is deeply intertwined with societal forces and institutions.
  • It does not exist in isolation but is ever-changing with other societal forces.

Understanding "The Public"

  • To understand public opinion, it is important to define "public" and differentiate it from terms like "crowd" and "mass."

Crowd

  • Defined by anonymity of members, contagion, and suggestibility of ideas.
  • Example: A crowd at a concert sharing the same sentiment and enjoying the music together.

Mass

  • Also anonymous but with little interaction; members do not need to be in the same location.
  • Masses are heterogeneous and diverse.
  • Example: People in different countries (Asia, America, Europe) watching the same Avengers movie without interacting with each other.
  • Mass communication delivers the same content to a large, unconnected audience.
  • Example: People watching the same quiz show at home without interacting.

Public

  • A group of people confronted by an issue, divided by opinions on that issue.
  • Requires discussion: members of a public engage in rational public discourse.

Comparing Crowd, Mass, and Public

  • Crowds: Characterized by shared emotional experiences.
  • Masses: Defined by interpersonal isolation.
  • Public: Organizes in response to a social or political issue, sharing rational thoughts.
  • Entering a crowd requires the ability to feel and empathize.
  • Joining a public requires the ability to think and reason with others.
  • When a public ceases to be critical, it dissolves into a crowd, creating public sentiment rather than public opinion.

Why Study Public Opinion?

  • The CLIN reading provides reasons why citizens of a democratic society should study public opinion.
  • Policymakers and media organizations invest resources in understanding public opinion.

Methods for Studying Public Opinion

  • Three major methods:
    • Surveys
    • Focus groups
    • Experiments
  • Surveys: The most familiar method.
  • Focus groups and experiments: More expensive and require careful pre-design.
  • The reading delves into the pros and cons of each method.