ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses public opinion in terms of the aggregated views of the general public rather than individual citizens. The chapter shows how public opinion has evolved over the years in terms of support for government programs, civil rights legislation, foreign policy, and the cultural issues that are often at the forefront of twenty-first century politics. The chapter presents the history of ideological identification in the U.S. For the past fifty years or so, people have identified more as conservatives than liberals. But many choose to call themselves moderate. And the many who claim no identification often have policy views that are more liberal than conservative. The chapter introduces the topic of historical swings in ideological “mood” as measured by aggregations of surveys on various policy items. Changes in the net support for the Democratic versus the Republican Party (“macropartisanship”) are discussed. The chapter concludes with a discussion of presidential popularity from Truman to Trump. The sources of presidential approval and disapproval are discussed.
