Chapter 5Chapter 5

PUBLIC OPINIONPUBLIC OPINION

The Vietnam War and the The Vietnam War and the PublicPublic

BackgroundBackground• The United States had given large-scale military The United States had given large-scale military

aid to the French colonialists and then to the aid to the French colonialists and then to the South Vietnamese government to fight South Vietnamese government to fight nationalists and communists in Vietnam.nationalists and communists in Vietnam.

• U.S. “military advisers” occasionally engaged in U.S. “military advisers” occasionally engaged in combat, but the American public knew little about combat, but the American public knew little about the guerilla war.the guerilla war.

• A A permissive consensuspermissive consensus existed, in which existed, in which people were willing to go along when their leaders people were willing to go along when their leaders told them that action was needed in order to told them that action was needed in order to resist communist aggression.resist communist aggression.

Tonkin Gulf incident and escalation of the warTonkin Gulf incident and escalation of the war• In 1964, the Department of Defense announced In 1964, the Department of Defense announced

that North Vietnamese PT boats had engaged in that North Vietnamese PT boats had engaged in “unprovoked attacks” on U.S. ships.“unprovoked attacks” on U.S. ships.

• Air attacks were launched against North Air attacks were launched against North Vietnamese PT boat bases and an oil storage depot.Vietnamese PT boat bases and an oil storage depot.

• Congress passed the Congress passed the Tonkin Gulf ResolutionTonkin Gulf Resolution, , authorizing the president to take “all necessary authorizing the president to take “all necessary measures.”measures.”

• The Tonkin Gulf Resolution established a legal basis The Tonkin Gulf Resolution established a legal basis for full U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War.for full U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War.

Public reactionPublic reaction• Public support for the war increased Public support for the war increased

after the Tonkin incident.after the Tonkin incident.• Years later, it was revealed that the Years later, it was revealed that the

U.S.S. U.S.S. MaddoxMaddox had steamed near the had steamed near the coastline, deliberately provoking coastline, deliberately provoking North Vietnamese radar defenses; North Vietnamese radar defenses; the second attack apparently never the second attack apparently never happened.happened.

Escalation of antiwar sentimentEscalation of antiwar sentiment• The number of U.S. troops in Vietnam The number of U.S. troops in Vietnam

rose rapidly.rose rapidly.• Tet offensiveTet offensive• President Johnson announced that he President Johnson announced that he

would limit the bombing of North would limit the bombing of North Vietnam, seek a negotiated Vietnam, seek a negotiated settlement, and withdraw as a settlement, and withdraw as a candidate for reelection.candidate for reelection.

Richard Nixon elected president in 1968Richard Nixon elected president in 1968• By 1969, a substantial majority of the By 1969, a substantial majority of the

public favored monthly reductions in public favored monthly reductions in the number of U.S. troops in Vietnam.the number of U.S. troops in Vietnam.

• Peace agreement was signed in Peace agreement was signed in January 1973January 1973

• North Vietnamese army took control North Vietnamese army took control of Saigon two years later and of Saigon two years later and reunified Vietnamreunified Vietnam

The Vietnam vignette in the textbook illustrates The Vietnam vignette in the textbook illustrates several important points about public opinion.several important points about public opinion.• How government officials can sometimes lead How government officials can sometimes lead

or manipulate public opinionor manipulate public opinion• How events and circumstances affect opinionHow events and circumstances affect opinion• How the press can influence public opinionHow the press can influence public opinion• How public opinion can have a strong impact How public opinion can have a strong impact

on policymaking, even on foreign policyon policymaking, even on foreign policy

Democratic Theory and Democratic Theory and Public OpinionPublic Opinion

Public opinionPublic opinion can be defined as the political can be defined as the political attitudes expressed by ordinary citizens.attitudes expressed by ordinary citizens.

Public opinion is a crucial part of democratic Public opinion is a crucial part of democratic government.government.• Abraham LincolnAbraham Lincoln defined democracy as defined democracy as

“government of the people, by the people, and for “government of the people, by the people, and for the people.”the people.”

• One important test of how well democracy is One important test of how well democracy is working is how closely government policy working is how closely government policy corresponds to the expressed wishes of its citizens.corresponds to the expressed wishes of its citizens.

Many leading thinkers have expressed Many leading thinkers have expressed strong doubts about the quality and stability strong doubts about the quality and stability of public opinion.of public opinion.

Modern survey researchers turned up Modern survey researchers turned up evidence of public ignorance, lack of interest evidence of public ignorance, lack of interest in politics, and reliance on group or party in politics, and reliance on group or party loyalties rather than judgments about issues.loyalties rather than judgments about issues.

The authors of The authors of The Struggle for DemocracyThe Struggle for Democracy point to evidence that this assessment of point to evidence that this assessment of public opinion is exaggerated.public opinion is exaggerated.

What People Know About What People Know About PoliticsPolitics

Gauging what people thinkGauging what people think• Early attempts to determine public Early attempts to determine public

opinion by guesswork or from the opinion by guesswork or from the views of personal acquaintances are views of personal acquaintances are defective.defective.

• The views of personal acquaintances, The views of personal acquaintances, media voices, or rally audiences are media voices, or rally audiences are often not representative of the whole often not representative of the whole public.public.

The Development of Modern The Development of Modern SurveysSurveys

Most of the guesswork can now be eliminated Most of the guesswork can now be eliminated by conducting an by conducting an opinion pollopinion poll or or sample sample surveysurvey..

Violation of the rule of random sampling in Violation of the rule of random sampling in surveys can lead to inaccurate results in surveys can lead to inaccurate results in opinion polls.opinion polls.• Scientific pollingScientific polling techniques became the standard techniques became the standard

after the famous after the famous Literary DigestLiterary Digest errors. errors.• Straw pollsStraw polls fell out of favor. fell out of favor.• Perfectly random sampling is not feasible.Perfectly random sampling is not feasible.

Interpreting surveysInterpreting surveys

Individuals’ IgnoranceIndividuals’ Ignorance

Modern survey results consistently show that Modern survey results consistently show that most Americans do not know or care a lot most Americans do not know or care a lot about politics.about politics.

People have particular trouble with technical People have particular trouble with technical terms, abbreviations, and geography.terms, abbreviations, and geography.

The things that most Americans don’t know The things that most Americans don’t know may not be vital.may not be vital.

Lack of detailed knowledge or ideology does Lack of detailed knowledge or ideology does not mean that public opinion is unstable or not mean that public opinion is unstable or irrelevant.irrelevant.

Collective Knowledge and Collective Knowledge and StabilityStability

Americans’ Americans’ collective policy collective policy preferencespreferences are very stable over are very stable over a long period of time.a long period of time.

The evidence is clear that many of The evidence is clear that many of the Founders’ fears of the Founders’ fears of capriciousness or fluctuations in capriciousness or fluctuations in public opinion are no longer public opinion are no longer justified, if they ever were.justified, if they ever were.

How People Feel About How People Feel About PoliticsPolitics

The system in generalThe system in general• Level of public Level of public confidenceconfidence

• Political efficacyPolitical efficacy — the public’s feelings the public’s feelings about whether the government pays any about whether the government pays any attention to ordinary people, and to whether attention to ordinary people, and to whether involvement such as voting has any effectinvolvement such as voting has any effect

• Feelings of anger, alienation, and mistrust Feelings of anger, alienation, and mistrust are closely related to many people’s are closely related to many people’s judgments that the institutions of judgments that the institutions of government have not been performing well.government have not been performing well.

Dissatisfaction With Dissatisfaction With Government PerformanceGovernment Performance

Evaluations of government’s performance includes Evaluations of government’s performance includes citizens’ judgments of how the government is citizens’ judgments of how the government is doing.doing.

Trends in presidential popularity tend to fluctuate Trends in presidential popularity tend to fluctuate more than party loyalties or policy preferences.more than party loyalties or policy preferences.

The public’s evaluation of the president depends on The public’s evaluation of the president depends on how well things are going.how well things are going.

Evaluations of Congress have not been surveyed as Evaluations of Congress have not been surveyed as regularly as those of the president, but it appears regularly as those of the president, but it appears that Congress has often been unpopular.that Congress has often been unpopular.

Party Loyalty and Party Party Loyalty and Party DeclineDecline

Party identificationParty identification is the sense is the sense of belonging to a party.of belonging to a party.

Party balanceParty balance among voters has among voters has important effects on who rules in important effects on who rules in Washington, and especially on Washington, and especially on which party controls Congress.which party controls Congress.

Basic Values and BeliefsBasic Values and Beliefs

Americans’ Americans’ basic beliefs and valuesbasic beliefs and values are are more fundamental than opinions about more fundamental than opinions about specific policiesspecific policies

There is often a high degree of There is often a high degree of consensusconsensus about basic beliefs and values.about basic beliefs and values.• FreedomFreedom• Economic libertyEconomic liberty• CapitalismCapitalism• EqualityEquality• DemocracyDemocracy

Policy PreferencesPolicy Preferences

According to democratic theory, one of the According to democratic theory, one of the chief determinants of what governments chief determinants of what governments do should be what the citizens want them do should be what the citizens want them to doto do — that is, citizens’ that is, citizens’ policypolicy preferencespreferences..

The textbook uses a series of graphs to The textbook uses a series of graphs to illustrate the general illustrate the general stabilitystability of of collective public opinion and to show how collective public opinion and to show how sharply the public distinguishes among sharply the public distinguishes among different policies.different policies.

TrendsTrends• Some surveys have revealed strong Some surveys have revealed strong

liberalizing trends over a period of liberalizing trends over a period of many years concerning civil rights many years concerning civil rights and civil liberties.and civil liberties.

• Americans are socially conservative Americans are socially conservative on a number of issues.on a number of issues.

• Public opinion sometimes changes Public opinion sometimes changes rapidly in the sphere of foreign policy.rapidly in the sphere of foreign policy.

Sources of Political Sources of Political AttitudesAttitudes

Political socializationPolitical socialization — political learning, political learning, the process by which appropriate means of the process by which appropriate means of political behavior are learnedpolitical behavior are learned• Examples include saluting the American Examples include saluting the American

flag or standing when the national flag or standing when the national anthem is played.anthem is played.

• The process begins when a person is very The process begins when a person is very young, but people continue to form and young, but people continue to form and change their political attitudes throughout change their political attitudes throughout their lives.their lives.

Agents of Political Agents of Political SocializationSocialization

FamilyFamily SchoolsSchools Workplace and homeWorkplace and home EventsEvents Economic and social structureEconomic and social structure

How People DifferHow People Differ

The authors of The authors of The Struggle for The Struggle for DemocracyDemocracy describe public opinion as a describe public opinion as a collective whole, but they also point to collective whole, but they also point to important distinctions among different important distinctions among different sorts of people in different circumstances.sorts of people in different circumstances.

Race and ethnicityRace and ethnicity ReligionReligion — ethnic differences are often ethnic differences are often

interwoven with differences in religious interwoven with differences in religious faith and valuesfaith and values

RegionRegion — although regional although regional differences have been reduced, differences have been reduced, there are still substantial differencesthere are still substantial differences

Social classSocial class — compared with much compared with much of the world, there has been little of the world, there has been little political conflict in the United States political conflict in the United States among people of different incomes among people of different incomes or occupational groupings, but there or occupational groupings, but there are some differencesare some differences

Educational levelEducational level — the strongest the strongest single predictor of participation in single predictor of participation in politicspolitics

GenderGender AgeAge — the young and old differ on the young and old differ on

certain matters that touch their certain matters that touch their particular interests, such as the draft in particular interests, such as the draft in wartime or the drinking agewartime or the drinking age

Public Opinion and PolicyPublic Opinion and Policy

One test of how democracy is working One test of how democracy is working is how closely a government’s policies is how closely a government’s policies correspond to the wishes of its citizens.correspond to the wishes of its citizens.

The textbook looks at the relationship is The textbook looks at the relationship is between what American citizens want between what American citizens want and what the U.S. government does.and what the U.S. government does.

The effects of public opinion on policyThe effects of public opinion on policy

Opinion ManipulationOpinion Manipulation

Even if public opinion is a Even if public opinion is a proximateproximate influence on policy, we still need to know influence on policy, we still need to know what factors affect public opinion itself.what factors affect public opinion itself.

Can public opinion be manufactured by the Can public opinion be manufactured by the media or easily manipulated by interest media or easily manipulated by interest groups or political leaders?groups or political leaders?

Chapter 5 concludes that public opinion is a Chapter 5 concludes that public opinion is a substantial and important proximate influence substantial and important proximate influence on policymaking, but that responsiveness to on policymaking, but that responsiveness to public opinion is incomplete.public opinion is incomplete.