ABSTRACT

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book explores how both mass media and interpersonal forms of communication shape public sentiment. Public opinion on policy and social issues can offer crucial insights into larger currents in American culture. A political leader who needs to mobilize public opinion must first understand its nature. A public, as commonly defined, is sharply distinct from a crowd or a mass. The concept of a mass, like the "crowd" concept, grew out of the social transformations occurring around the turn of the century. Finally, public opinion is the result of social processes. That is, it is intertwined with various societal forces and institutions, such as the changing American demographic profile, the problems of inner cities, and the state of family life. Public opinion is embedded in culture and should always be considered in its social context.