ABSTRACT
Public opinion has many facets. Because of this, scholars who seek to understand public opinion approach the topic from multiple directions and perspectives. The contributions in this volume demonstrate this point well. Public opinion is discussed in these chapters in terms of meaning, measurement, subgroup differences, media effects, partisanship and ideology, political campaigns, and public policy. One persistent question faced by students of public opinion is why people differ in their views. In attempting to answer this question, one might consider the influences of immediate factors such as the statements of public officials and the corresponding content of media coverage. Analysts also might consider more long-term influences such as the impact on public opinion of a person’s core values and basic political orientations. The position we advocate is that any full account of why people’s opinions vary requires that we search broadly, and especially that we consider both immediate and long-term factors.
