Constructing Public Opinion

How Political Elites Do What They Like and Why We Seem to Go Along with It

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Political Science, Government, Social Science
Cover of the book Constructing Public Opinion by Justin Lewis, Columbia University Press
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Author: Justin Lewis ISBN: 9780231529068
Publisher: Columbia University Press Publication: March 7, 2001
Imprint: Columbia University Press Language: English
Author: Justin Lewis
ISBN: 9780231529068
Publisher: Columbia University Press
Publication: March 7, 2001
Imprint: Columbia University Press
Language: English

Is polling a process that brings "science" into the study of society? Or are polls crude instruments that tell us little about the way people actually think? The role of public opinion polls in government and mass media has gained increasing importance with each new election or poll taken.

Here Lewis presents a new look at an old tradition, the first study of opinion polls using an interdisciplinary approach combining cultural studies, sociology, political science, and mass communication. Rather than dismissing polls, he considers them to be a significant form of representation in contemporary culture; he explores how the media report on polls and, in turn, how publicized results influence the way people respond to polls. Lewis argues that the media tend to exclude the more progressive side of popular opinion from public debate. While the media's influence is limited, it works strategically to maintain the power of pro-corporate political elites.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Is polling a process that brings "science" into the study of society? Or are polls crude instruments that tell us little about the way people actually think? The role of public opinion polls in government and mass media has gained increasing importance with each new election or poll taken.

Here Lewis presents a new look at an old tradition, the first study of opinion polls using an interdisciplinary approach combining cultural studies, sociology, political science, and mass communication. Rather than dismissing polls, he considers them to be a significant form of representation in contemporary culture; he explores how the media report on polls and, in turn, how publicized results influence the way people respond to polls. Lewis argues that the media tend to exclude the more progressive side of popular opinion from public debate. While the media's influence is limited, it works strategically to maintain the power of pro-corporate political elites.

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