AMERICAN PUBLIC OPINION
(POL-UA 342, ALHAM-UA 342)
New York University – Wilf Family Department of Politics
Spring 2015
Professor: Raymond A. Smith, Ph.D.
Class Time: Tuesday and Thursday 5:00-6:15pm
Office Hours: Before and after class, and other times by appointment
E-mail address: rs132@nyu.edu
This course will examine the origins, nature, role, formation, and content of public opinion in the
US as relates to issues of government, politics, and public policy. The first half of the course will
focus on providing a conceptual understanding of how “public opinion” is defined and
understood in the United States; a methodological examination of how public opinion data is
collected; and a consideration of normative question concerning how much and what types of
influence public opinion should have on public policy. The second half of the course will
examine empirical patterns of public opinion, including the ways in which they are formed, their
ideological and substantive content, and their relationship to the actual direction of politics and
public policy formulation in the United States. Key areas to be considered are attitudes towards
government and the political parties; views of the economy and social welfare policies; opinions
on issues relating to religion, race/ethnicity, gender, and sexuality; and opinions about foreign
policy and military affairs.
The course will be framed around answering four critical questions in the study of public
opinion:

The Measurement Question: To what extent and by what means can public opinion be
accurately and meaningfully measured?

The Normative Question: To what extent are the opinions of the American mass public
qualified to influence public policy outcomes?

The Formational Question: What key forces shape the content and direction of public
opinion in the United States?

The Empirical Question: What opinions do Americans actually hold on key issue
domains, and how are these linked to outcomes in public policy?
Course requirements:
If at any time you have a problem with a deadline, a course requirement, or anything else which
may affect your participation in the course, please speak to me as soon as possible. Similarly, if
you need any disability accommodations, please let me know. I will work with you to resolve any
issues, but can’t do so unless I know about them.
Exams (70% total of course grade): There will be two in-class exams, one at mid-term based on
the first half of the course and a cumulative final exam covering the entire course. Each exam is
worth 35% of the course grade.
Written Assignments (15% total of course grade): During Part I of the course, each student will
complete several written assignments, to be posted to the “NYU Classes” course website.
Further details on the written assignments are provided below, and will additionally be provided
in class.
Group Assignments (15% of the course grade): During Part I of the course, students will work in
small groups to collaborate on designing and administering a short survey on a political issue
area to be randomly assigned to each group. During Part II of the course, they will present their
findings to the class along with background/context about their assigned political issue area.
More information about the group assignments will be provided in class.
Policy on Class Attendance: Attendance at lectures is required, and no more than two
unexcused absences (i.e., those without documentation as to the reason for absence) are
permitted. Students should be aware that they may be called upon in class to comment on their
individual written assignments shortly after the date it is posted. Likewise, during in-class group
work sessions (which may occur at any time), each student will be required to sign a sheet
certifying their participation. Please arrange to arrive on time to every class and plan to stay for
the duration of the class.
Note on Plagiarism: Students should be aware that plagiarism is a serious academic offense and
will be treated at such. The definition of plagiarism that has been adopted at NYU is as follows:
“Plagiarism is presenting someone else's work as though it were one's own. More specifically,
plagiarism is to present as one's own a sequence of words quoted without quotation marks from
another writer; a paraphrased passage from another writer's work; creative images, artwork, or
design; or facts or ideas gathered, organized, and reported by someone else, orally and/or in
writing and not providing proper attribution. Since plagiarism is a matter of fact, not of the
student's intention, it is crucial that acknowledgement of the sources be accurate and complete.
Even where there is no conscious intention to deceive, the failure to make appropriate
acknowledgment constitutes plagiarism. Penalties for plagiarism range from failure for a paper
or course to dismissal from the University.”
Readings:
All books have been ordered for purchase at the NYU Bookstore and reserve copies have been
requested at the Reserve Reading desk in Bobst Library.
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American Public Opinion: Its Origins, Content, and Impact 9th Edition. Robert S. Erikson
and Kent L. Tedin. Pearson, 2014.
Understanding Public Opinion, 3rd Ed. Barbara Norrander and Clyde Wilcox, Eds. CQ
Press, 2010.
Culture War?: The Myth of a Polarized America. Morris Fiorina. Longman, 2011.
Several other readings assignments are available at the URLs posted below
In addition, you are encouraged to keep up on coverage of American politics in general
and public opinion in particular over the course of the semester. Some newspaper
articles or other additional short readings may be assigned.
From time to time, key websites about polling and public opinion will be introduced in
class. Students are encouraged to further explore these websites on their own.
Course Calendar
(This is the anticipated course calendar, but may be subject to some modification.)
Part I:
Concepts and Methods in the Study of Public Opinion
Part I of the course will focus on answering the first half of four key questions:

The Measurement Question: To what extent and by what means can public opinion be
accurately and meaningfully measured?

The Normative Question: To what extent and in what ways are the opinions of the
American mass public qualified to influence public policy outcomes?
Week of January 26: Defining Public Opinion
Reading:
 Erickson & Tedin:
Ch. 1: “Public Opinion in Democratic Societies”

Norrander & Wilcox:
“Introduction: The Diverse Paths to Understanding Public Opinion”
Week of February 2 & February 9: Methods of Public Opinion Research
Reading:
 Erickson & Tedin:
Ch. 2: “Polling: The Scientific Assessment of Public Opinion”

Norrander & Wilcox:
Appendix A: A Primer on Statistics and Public Opinion

American Association of Public Opinion Research (AAPOR)
“Why Does Survey Research Matter?”:
http://www.aapor.org/AAPORKentico/Standards-Ethics/Why-Does-Survey-ResearchMatter.aspx
“Best Practices for Survey Research”:
http://www.aapor.org/AAPORKentico/Standards-Ethics/Best-Practices.aspx
Written assignment 1 (5% of course grade):
Visit the website of the academic journal Public Opinion Quarterly. (Using your NYU login, full text can be accessed via the Bobst Library website.) Browse through issues
published in 2011, 2012, or 2013 and choose an article whose topic interests you.
Provide a brief critique (approx. 1-2 pages double-spaced) of the methods and/or
content of the article, what key conclusions it reaches, and to what extent you found it
convincing.
This assignment is to be posted as a Word document to the relevant discussion board on
the “NYU Classes” website for this course by Wednesday, February 11 at 12 noon. Be
sure to include a full bibliographic citation for your chosen article.
After that time, read and post comments on the postings made by the student before
you and ahead of you in alphabetical order. If a student has not posted by the time you
go to provide your comments, go to the next student in alphabetical order. Comments
are due by Sunday, February 15 at 12 midnight (i.e., the end of the day on February
15).
Week of February 16: How Public Opinion Polls are Used – and Misused -- in American
Politics and Media
Reading:
 Erickson & Tedin:
Ch. 8: “The Print and Broadcast Media and Political Opinions”

American Association of Public Opinion Research (AAPOR)
AAPOR Code of Ethics:
http://www.aapor.org/AAPORKentico/Standards-Ethics/AAPOR-Code-of-Ethics.aspx
Survey Practices that AAPOR Condemns:
http://www.aapor.org/AAPORKentico/Standards-Ethics/Survey-Practices-that-AAPORCondemns.aspx
Written assignment 2 (5% of course grade):
Conduct an internet search to identify a poll whose results were reported by a media
outlet or by a group. The poll should be one in which you find evidence of bias or
distortion in the way that the poll was conducted and/or how its findings were
presented. Provide a brief critique (approx. 1-2 pages double-spaced) explaining the
nature and causes of the bias, and how such bias could/should have been avoided or
corrected.
This assignment is to be posted as a Word document to the relevant discussion board on
the “NYU Classes” website for this course by Wednesday, February 18 at 12 noon. Be
sure to include a link to the relevant poll.
After that time, read and post comments on the postings made by the student before
you and ahead of you in alphabetical order. If a student has not posted by the time you
go to provide your comments, go to the next student in alphabetical order. Comments
are due by Sunday, February 22 at 12 midnight (i.e., the end of the day on February
22).
Week of February 23 & March 2: Critiques and Defenses of “the Rational Public”
Reading:
 Erickson & Tedin:
Ch. 3: “Microlevel Opinion: The Psychology of Opinion-Holding”

Philip E. Converse, “The nature of belief systems in mass publics” (classic 1964 article)
Available at:
http://ftp.voteview.com/The_Nature_of_Belief_Systems_in_Mass_Publics_Converse_1
964.pdf
Week of March 9: Midterm Exam and Introduction to Part II
Midterm exam to be held in class on Tuesday, March 10
Written assignment 3 (5% of course grade):
Conduct an internet search to identify any poll whose results were cited by two
different interest groups that have a different perspective on the topic of the poll (e.g., a
poll on gun control whose results are presented by the National Rifle Association and by
the Brady Campaign). Provide a brief critique (approx. 1-2 pages double-spaced)
identifying how the two groups present the poll findings and how and why interpret the
results differently.
This assignment is to be posted as a Word document to the relevant discussion board on
the “NYU Classes” website for this course by Wednesday, March 25 at 12 noon. Be sure
to include a link to the relevant poll.
After that time, read and post comments on the postings made by the student before
you and ahead of you in alphabetical order. If a student has not posted by the time you
go to provide your comments, go to the next student in alphabetical order. Comments
are due by Sunday, March 29 at 12 midnight (i.e., the end of the day on March 29).
Week of March 16: No Class – Spring Break
Part II:
The Formation, Content, and Influence of US Public Opinion
Part I of the course will focus on answering the second half of four key questions:

The Formational Question: What key forces shape the content and direction of public
opinion in the United States?

The Empirical Question: What opinions do Americans actually hold on key issue
domains, and how are these linked to outcomes in public policy?
Week of March 23: The Origins and Sources of Public Opinion
Reading:
 Erickson & Tedin:
Ch. 5: “Political Socialization and Political Learning”

Norrander & Wilcox:
Ch. 8: “Is Liberal-Conservative Identification an Ideology”? by William G. Jacoby
Week of March 30: Public Opinion and the Role of Groups
Reading:
 Erickson & Tedin:
Ch. 7: “Group Differences in Political Opinions”
Ch. 11: “Parties and Interest Groups: Mediating Institutions and Representation”

Norrander & Wilcox:
Ch. 1: “The Gender Basis of Public Opinion” by Virginia Sapiro and Shauna Shames
Ch. 2: “Latino Public Opinion: Identity Politics and Policy Preferences” by John A. Garcia
Week of April 6: Linkages between Public Opinion and Public Policy
Reading:
 Erickson & Tedin:
Ch 4: “Macrolevel Opinion: The Flow of Political Sentiment”
Ch 12: “Public Opinion and the Performance of Democracy”

American Association of Public Opinion Research (AAPOR)
“POLLING AND DEMOCRACY: REPORT OF THE AAPOR TASK FORCE ON PUBLIC OPINION
AND LEADERSHIP”
http://www.aapor.org/AAPORKentico/AAPOR_Main/media/MainSiteFiles/Final_Task_F
orce_Report_September_2_2013w_LOGO.pdf
Week of April 13: Opinions towards campaigns, candidates, and political parties
Reading:
 Norrander & Wilcox:
Ch. 9: “Party Identification, Party Polarization, and “Conflict Extension” by Geoffrey C.
Layman and Thomas M. Carsey

Fiorina:
Chs. 1-4
Week of April 20: Opinions towards the institutions of government
Reading:
 Erickson & Tedin:
Ch. 10: “The Public and Its Elected Representatives”

Norrander & Wilcox:
Ch. 10: “Trust but Verify” Three Lenses on Americans’ Trust in Government” by Paul
Gronke, James Hicks, and Timothy E. Cook
Ch. 11: “The Rise and Fall of George W. Bush: Popular Support for the President,”
Barbara Norrander and Tiffany Harper
Week of April 27: Opinions on economic and social issues
Reading:
 Norrander & Wilcox:
Ch. 6: “Race and the Formation of Attitudes: Responses to Hurricane Katrina,” by Lonna
R. Atkeson and Cherie D. Maestas
Ch. 7: The Puzzling Case of Abortion Attitudes of the Millenial Generation,” by Clyde
Wilcox and Patrick Carr

Fiorina:
Ch. 5, 6
Week of April 28: Opinions on foreign and military affairs
Reading:
 Norrander & Wilcox:
Ch. 4: “Public Opinion and the Iraq War,” by Adam Berinsky
Ch. 5: “Public Opinion, Civil Liberties, and Security in the Post-9/11 Context,” by Darren
W. Davis
Week of May 4: Course Conclusion: Future challenges and directions for public opinion
Reading:
 Fiorina:
Ch. 7-10
Time, Date, and Location of Final Exam to be Announced