PUBLIC OPINION
I. Characteristics of Public Opinion
- Attitudes toward a given public policy can vary over time, often
dramatically.
- Public Opinion places boundaries on allowable types of public
policy.
- If asked by pollsters, citizens are willing to express opinions
on matters outside their expertise.
- Government tends to respond to public opinion.
- Government sometimes does not do what the people want.
II. Measuring Public Opinion: Sample Size and Shape of the Sample
Distribution
Table 1
Sample Size for a Simple Random Sample
Tolerated
Error |
Confidence Limits |
95 Samples
in 100 |
99 Samples
in 100 |
1% |
9,604 |
16,587 |
2% |
2,401 |
4,147 |
3% |
1,067 |
1,843 |
4% |
600 |
1,037 |
5% |
384 |
663 |
6% |
267 |
461 |
7% |
196 |
339 |
Table 2 Shape of the Distribution |
![](../../pubop/norm1.gif) |
![](../../pubop/skew1.gif) |
![](../../pubop/bimod1.gif) |
III. Stability of the Distribution: Shows little change over
time.
- Preference for capitalism
- Self Identification of Ideology
- Change in Public Opinion Reflects Generational Changes
IV. Political Knowledge of Americans
- General Knowledge About Government
- Knowledge About Public Policy
- Political Knowledge & Political Participation