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Chapter 9: Public Opinion and the Media
All governments claim to obey public opinion, and in the democracies politicians and political leaders actually try to do so.
The American government does not directly regulate opinions and beliefs in the sense that dictatorial regimes often do. Opinion is regulated by an institution that the government constructed and that it maintains—the marketplace of ideas. In this marketplace, opinions and ideas compete for support. In general, opinions supported by upper-class groups have a better chance of succeeding than those views that are advanced mainly by the lower classes.
Americans share a number of values and viewpoints but often classify themselves as liberal or conservative in their basic orientations. The meaning of these terms has changed greatly over the past century. Once liberalism meant opposition to big government. Today liberals favor an expanded role for the government. Once conservatism meant support for state power and aristocratic rule. Today conservatives oppose almost all government regulation.
Although the United States relies mainly on market mechanisms, our government does intervene to influence particular opinions and, more important, the general climate of political opinion, often by trying to influence media coverage of events.
Another important force shaping public opinion is the news media, which help to determine the agenda or focus of political debate and to shape popular understanding of political events. The power of the media stems from their having the freedom to present information and opinion critical of government, political leaders, and policies. Free media are essential ingredients of popular government.
The scientific approach to learning public opinion is called polling. Through polling, elections can be accurately predicted; polls also provide information on the bases and conditions of voting decisions and make it possible to assess trends in attitudes and the influence of ideology on attitudes.
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