Learning Objectives

In general, after you finish reading and studying this chapter, you should understand the following:

• what public opinion is and what its role is in determining public perception of issues
• efforts to influence and measure public opinion from The Federalist Papers on for the purpose of gauging and swaying public opinion for political purposes
• how political socialization and other factors, including political ideology, influence opinions about political matters
• why Americans form opinions about political issues
• how public opinion is measured and problems with polling techniques
• how polling and public opinion affect politicians, politics, and policy