11.1 What Is Public Opinion

• An individual’s own beliefs and the blending of individual beliefs into a larger concept called public opinion

What do Americans Not Know about Politics

• Many Americans can’t answer basic questions about the government
• Makes it harder for public opinion

11.2 Trying to Measure Public Opinion

• Focus group - a small group of individuals assembled for a specific issue

How Scientific polling works

• The problem is to decide who to include in the sample
• Valid polling requires random selection
• The goal is a sample that represents the population, representative sample
• Weighting - adjusts the result of a survey to better acurately reflect how prevalent an opinion is
• sampling error - margin of error
  • Usually +-3% margin of error
  • If answers within margin of error, it is too close to call
  • Can reduce margin of error but increases cost by increasing sample
• Mass survey - aims for about 1500 respondants

Types of Surveys

• Entrance survey- poll conducted of people coming into an event
• Exit poll- poll conducted following an event
  • News outlets have agreed to not release exit polls until all of states polling places have closed
• Benchmark poll - Beginning of a political campain to gauge support for a canidate

11.3 The Effects of Public Opinion on Democratic Representation

Understanding Patterns within American Public Opinion