ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces the reader to the scope of this book. It addresses the importance of public opinion in democracy. It discusses the entry of public opinion polls as a tool of democracy and the initial controversy it created. The chapter lists some online sources where readers can search public opinion archives. The introduction promotes the discussion of the impact of public opinion in American democracy that is found in later chapters. The book discusses five models by which public opinion can affect policy: the Rational Actor model, the Political Parties model, the Interest Groups model, the Delegate model, and the Sharing model.
