ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT:Thetopicofthedemocraticpublic'slimitedcompetencehaspreoccupiedstudentsofdemocracyforcenturies.AnecdotalconcernsabouttheproblemreachedtheirpeakofsophisticationinthewritingsofWalterLippmann andJosephSchumpeter.NotuntilPhilipE.Converse's"TheNatureofBeliifSystemsinMassPublics"didstatisticalresearchoverwhelminglyconfirm theworstfearsofsuchdemocraticskeptics.SubsequentworkhastendedtoconfirmConverse'spictureofatinystratumofwell-informedideologicalelites whosepassionatepoliticaldebatesfindlittleecho,orevenawareness,inthe masspublic.VVhileagreatdealofattentionhasbeendevotedto"saving"democraticlegitimacyfromsuchfindings,theConverse-inspiredworkofjohn Zaller(1992)showshowfruiifulConverse'sbasicideascanbenotonlyinanalyzingreal-worldpoliticalevents,butinpullingtogetherandstimulatingnew linesofresearchintowhatmovesthe"creativesynthesizers"ofbeliifsystems; intothefactorsthataffectthesmallnumbersofpeoplewhograspsuchsystems andattempttotransmitthemtothepublic;andintothelong-termpsychologicalorculturalsourcesofthepredispositionswithwhichmembersofthemass publicconfronttheresultingpoliticalmessages.
