Public Opinion: Democratic Ideals, Democratic Practice

by Rosalee A. Clawson, Zoe M. Oxley

In Public Democratic Ideals, Democratic Practice, Fourth Edition, Clawson and Oxley link the enduring normative questions of democratic theory to existing empirical research on public opinion. Organized around a series of questions—In a democratic society, what should be the relationship between citizens and their government? Are citizens’ opinions pliable? Are they knowledgeable, attentive, and informed?—the text explores the tension between ideals and their practice. Each chapter focuses on exemplary studies, explaining not only the conclusion of the research, but how it was conducted, so students gain a richer understanding of the research process and see methods applied in context.

536 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 1, 2008

Reviews

[Brad Wood-MacLean]

Great introductory book to get you interested in the nuances of public opinion!

[Reader Silent seawind]

Stereotype of China

[Bristol]

Probably would have enjoyed it more if I had more of an interest in public opinion. Handy for the class that I took that assigned it - but not my favourite textbook. Somewhat long-winded in parts.

[Peyton Honeck]

This book is a great place to start learning about public opinion. The authors raise questions about citizen’s place in democracy and how much influence public opinion should have on policymaking. Using real examples and research they present the reader with different perspectives and then go a step further to interpret the findings through the viewpoint of different democratic theorist perspectives. At the end of each chapter a list is provided of other works on the topic discussed and short descriptions so that if the subject interests you then you can get more in depth information. Overall great book!