ABSTRACT
Researchers of public opinion continue to grapple with ever-present problems. Among these are the classic debates over how to interpret both response instability and the apparent lack of constraint governing attitudes; the ever-increasing rates of nonresponse to public opinion surveys; and the difficulties associated with obtaining responses on sensitive issues, particularly those on which the demand characteristics are high. Crucial questions remain about citizens’ political sophistication and decision-making capacities, questions that lie at the heart of the democratic experience.
