ABSTRACT
This chapter considers some of the basic content of united status public opinion: the elements that might be expected to influence policy. It focuses on to major disagreements among the public: the contested terrain that provides the context for political and social debates. The Columbia scholars attributed these patterns to how people's closest relationships–with family and friends, coworkers, fellow churchgoers, and so on–affected their political views. To illustrate the power of social influences, the Columbia scholars combined their three key social variables into a seven-point index of political predisposition. The Michigan model placed more emphasis on psychological variables: how people thought about the parties, candidates, and issues, and how these factors influenced their votes. A model based on party identification, issues, and candidates can easily be applied to any presidential election. Researchers have found that people employ heuristics in making all kinds of political judgments, such as taking positions on policy issues.
