This document discusses public opinion, political socialization, and factors that influence them. It defines public opinion as the politically relevant opinions that citizens openly express through words or actions. It also discusses how polling and public opinion polls work using probability sampling to estimate opinions of a whole population from a small random sample. The document then covers political socialization, which is the lifelong learning process through which people acquire their political beliefs, values, and outlooks. It lists the major agents of political socialization, such as family, schools, media, peers, and political institutions. Finally, it notes some key factors like race, religion, region, and urban/rural differences that affect public opinions.

1. Public Opinion &
Political Socialization
Dr. Christopher S. Rice

2. “There are
three
kinds of
lies: lies,
damn lies,
and
statistics.”
~ Mark Twain

3. Public Opinion
The politically relevant opinions
held by ordinary citizens that
they express openly through
words or actions.

5. Polling

6. Survey
Systematic interviews by trained,
professional interviewers, who ask
a standardized set of questions of
a rather small number of
randomly chosen citizens.

7. Public Opinion Poll
a relatively few individuals (the
sample) are interviewed in order
to estimate the opinions of a
whole population.

8. The Theory of Probability

9. Sampling Error?

10. The Bell Curve
68%
95%

11. Representative
(Probability) Sample
sample in which each individual in
the population has a known
probability of being selected at
random for inclusion in the survey

12. Phone Books and
Computer Dialing
(cc) 2006 mj ecker Some Rights Reserved

13. What
about
Cell
Phones?
(cc) 2006 Andreww Hubbell Some Rights Reserved

14. Straw Polls
Unscientific surveys which
make no attempt at using a
representative (random)
sample in their polling.

15. 1936 Presidential Election

17. 1948 Presidential
Election

18. 2004 Zogby Exit Polls

19. Push polls
Polls which deliberately feed
respondents misleading
information or leading
questions in an effort to
“push” them into favoring a
particular candidate or issue.

20. Surveys and Polling

21. Political Socialization
the learning process through
which people acquire their
political opinions, beliefs & values.

23. Political beliefs are
NOT ingrained…
they are acquired
through a lifelong
learning process.

24. Political outlook is
substantially influenced by
childhood learning.

25. Political outlook is
substantially influenced by
childhood learning.

27. Political Socialization is
CUMULATIVE in nature

28. VS.

29. Age-Cohort Tendency

30. Agents of Political Socialization

31. Agents of Political Socialization
Family

32. Agents of Political Socialization
Family
Schools

33. Agents of Political Socialization
Family
Schools
Mass Media

34. Agents of Political Socialization
Family
Schools
Mass Media
Peers

35. Agents of Political Socialization
Family
Schools
Mass Media
Peers
Political Institutions & Leaders

36. Agents of Political Socialization
Family
Schools
Mass Media
Peers
Political Institutions & Leaders
Churches

37. Effects on Public Opinion of…

38. Effects on Public Opinion of…
Race and ethnicity

39. Effects on Public Opinion of…
Race and ethnicity
Religion

40. Effects on Public Opinion of…
Race and ethnicity
Religion
Region

41. Effects on Public Opinion of…
Race and ethnicity
Religion
Region
City vs. country

42. Effects on Public Opinion of…
Race and ethnicity
Religion
Region
City vs. country
Party Affiliation