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Standard and Short Edition:
1 American Political Culture
2 The Founding and the Constitution
3 Federalism
4 Civil Liberties
5 Civil Rights
6 Public Opinion
7 The Media
8 Political Participation and Voting
9 Political Parties
10 Campaigns and Elections
11 Groups and Interests
12 Congress
13 The Presidency
14 Bureaucracy In A Democracy
15 The Federal Courts
16 Government and Economy
17 Social Policy
18 Foreign Policy and Democracy
Texas Edition:
19 The Political Culture, People, and Economy of Texas
20 The Texas Constitution
21 Parties and Elections in Texas
22 Interest Groups, Lobbying, and Lobbyists
23 The Texas Legislature
24 The Texas Executive Branch
25 The Texas Judiciary
26 Local Government in Texas
27 Public Policy in Texas

Chapter 6: Public Opinion

Questions for Discussion and Thought

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  1. Most grade schoolers are taught a false story that George Washington chopped down a cherry tree and could not lie to his father about it. Why do you think schools teach this story even though it is not true?

  1. What is your opinion on same-sex marriages? What is the basis for your opinion? Is it legal, social, or religious? Has your opinion changed or evolved in any way over the last year or so? If so, why?

  1. George Gallup originally designed polls to help make the democratic system more responsive to the people. Did he succeed? Is the system too responsive to public opinion? If someone from the Gallup Poll called to ask you how you planned to vote for president in an upcoming election, would you tell the truth? If Peter Jennings stopped you outside the polling place and asked you how you had voted, would you tell him the truth? Do you think most people lie to pollsters?

  1. Do you think you are informed enough about such issues as health care reform, tax code revision, or foreign trade to make an intelligent decision at the polls? Can democracy work if people are not well informed enough to understand these complex issues?

  1. Does political advertising manipulate public opinion about issues and candidates? Is this any different from advertising a consumer product? If political attitudes are the result of manipulation, does this make a mockery of free elections? If citizens’ preferences are not freely chosen, what does this mean for democracy?



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