The Nature and Origins of Mass Opinion
                        
                     
                                            
                            
                                                                by John R. Zaller
                                                                
                                    2020-07-03 13:38:25
                                
                                
                             
                         
                                     
                
                    The Nature and Origins of Mass Opinion
                                            
                                                            by John R. Zaller
                                                        
                                2020-07-03 13:38:25
                            
                            
                         
                                        
                                                                                                In this book John Zaller develops a comprehensive theory to explain how people acquire political information from the mass media and convert it into political preferences. Using numerous  specific examples, Zaller applies this theory in order to expl...
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                                                In this book John Zaller develops a comprehensive theory to explain how people acquire political information from the mass media and convert it into political preferences. Using numerous  specific examples, Zaller applies this theory in order to explain the dynamics of public opinion on a broad range of subjects, including both domestic and foreign policy, trust in government, racial equality, and presidential approval, as well as voting behavior in U.S. House, Senate and Presidential elections. Particularly perplexing characteristics of public opinion are also examined, such as the high degree of random fluctuations in political attitudes observed in opinion surveys and the changes in attitudes due to minor changes in the wording of survey questions.
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