Political Science 3334:
Public Opinion and American Politics
Instructor: Matthew Wilson
e-mail jmwilson@smu.edu
phone (214) 768-4054
website http://faculty.smu.edu/jmwilson
Office: 215 Carr Collins Hall
Mon Wed 2:00-3:00 pm
or by appointment
Course Description: This course explores the structure and dynamics of American public opinion,
providing a broad-based introduction to the forces that shape citizens’ social and political attitudes in
the contemporary United States. We will focus our analysis in three major areas: definitions of public
opinion and theories of opinion formation, how public opinion is influenced and how it in turn
influences governmental policy, and public opinion in specific issue areas of the contemporary
American political scene. Our analysis will draw heavily both on classic readings in public opinion and
on insights from modern political science, allowing us to examine important political phenomena from
a variety of perspectives. Ultimately, the goal of this course is to help each member of the class arrive
at a deeper, more comprehensive understanding of the forces that shape American beliefs, attitudes,
and opinions, the ways that those views are expressed in the public sphere, and the process by which
the public will is discerned and translated into legislative outcomes.
Readings: In this course, we will use three assigned books, supplemented frequently with additional
materials from a course pack and the internet. The books, Clawson and Oxley’s Public Opinion:
Democratic Ideals, Democratic Practice, Asher’s Polling and the Public: What Every Citizen Should Know (Seventh
Edition), and Sniderman and Carmines’ Reaching Beyond Race, as well as the course pack, are all available
at the S.M.U. bookstore. Links to the on-line reading materials will be available through the instructor’s
web site. Students should visit the site during the first week of class to be sure that they have no
problems obtaining the on-line reading materials.
Timely reading is critical both for achievement as an individual student in this class, and for the
success of the course as a whole. The reading load in this course is reasonable—on average,
assignments will run less than fifty pages per class session. As a result, students are strongly expected
to come to class having read the material carefully, thought about it, and prepared to discuss it in class.
Failure to do so will result in lessened comprehension of class lectures, poorer exam performance, and
a lower participation grade. Conversely, dutiful attention to the reading will greatly enhance the
intellectual experience of the course for the individual student, and enable him or her to contribute
meaningfully to the class as a whole.
Course Requirements and Grading: Grades for this course will be determined by a combination of
three factors: in-class examinations, independent essays, and class participation and preparedness.
There will be three exams during the course of the semester (including the scheduled final).
These exams will consist of objective and/or short essay items, and will cover material from both
readings and lectures. They will test both mastery of important concepts and the ability to think
analytically about the ideas discussed in class. The first two exams will each cover material from one
major section of the course, while the final exam will be cumulative (with an emphasis on material from
the third portion of the course). Together, these exams will comprise 50% of the total course grade
(15% for each of the first two exams and 20% for the final).
Students will also be responsible for two independent essays during the course of the semester.
Assigned essay topics will be distributed at least two weeks prior to the due date for the papers. Essays
should be approximately six to seven typed pages (1800-2100 words) in length, and will be expected to
incorporate material from the assigned readings. These papers will be graded according to the
soundness and intellectual rigor of their argument, their use of relevant class material (both from
reading and lecture), and the quality of their written expression. Together, these essays will comprise
40% of the total course grade.
Finally, class participation is a very valuable part of the learning experience in this course.
Questions are welcomed, and time will often be set aside for discussion. Students are expected to come
to class prepared to share their questions, comments, criticisms, and insights with others. This course
will be greatly enriched if people with views across the political spectrum voice their opinions on the
important and often controversial issues that we will discuss. Simply showing up for class, while
necessary for a good participation grade, is not sufficient. Additionally, to ensure that students are
completing assigned readings in a timely manner, there will be at least six unannounced quizzes during
the course of the semester. These should be easy for those who have read, and difficult for those who
have not. Together, participation and quizzes will make up the final 10% of the course grade.
Grades will be assigned on the following scale:
98-100
88-89
78-79
68-69
<60
A+
B+
C+
D+
F
93-97
83-87
73-77
63-67
A
B
C
D
90-92
80-82
70-72
60-62
ABCD-
Attendance: If student participation is a vital component of a successful class, regular attendance is its
obvious prerequisite. Therefore, attendance will be taken at every class meeting, and excessive absences
will result in an overall course grade penalty. Because unavoidable conflicts sometimes arise, students
will be allowed two absences without penalty, and without need to provide an excuse. After that, each
absence will result in a penalty of one point deducted from the student’s final numerical average for the
course. This penalty can be waived only under very limited circumstances, such as travel to represent
the University, serious documented illness, or a real family emergency. Exceptions to the attendance
policy must be cleared with the instructor, in advance if possible.
Office Hours: Students are encouraged to take advantage of office hours, noted on the first page of
the syllabus. They are an opportunity to discuss issues relating to the course, to go over exams or
papers, or just to chat about politics. If these hours are not convenient, appointments can be made to
meet at other times.
Honor Code: The S.M.U. Honor Code governs all student work in this course, both in class and
outside of the classroom. The Honor Pledge is as follows: “On my honor, I have neither given nor
received unauthorized aid on this work.” It should be signed on exam blue books, and included (and
signed) on the title page of essays. Honor code violations are punishable not only by a failing grade for
the course, but also by referral to the University Honor Council. Any questions about specific
applications of the Honor Code should be addressed to the instructor.
Course Plan
Section I: Defining and Measuring Public Opinion
Context and Overview: Concepts of Public Opinion (08/26-09/04)
08/26: No assigned reading
08/28: APSA CONFERENCE—NO CLASS MEETING
09/02: MONDAY SCHEDULE—NO CLASS MEETING
09/04: Clawson and Oxley, Chapter 1 (3-26)
Excerpt: Lippman’s Public Opinion (Course Pack #1)
Ideology and Information in America (09/09)
09/09: Clawson and Oxley, Chapter 5 (125-152)
Excerpt: Delli Carpini and Keeter’s What Americans Know About Politics (Course Pack #3)
Models of Opinion Formation (09/11-09/18)
09/11: Excerpt: Converse’s “The Nature of Belief Systems in Mass Publics” (Course Pack #4)
09/16: Excerpt: Zaller’s The Nature and Origins of Mass Opinion (Course Pack #5-6)
09/18: Lodge et al.’s “The Responsive Voter” (On-line)
Measuring Public Opinion: The Polling Industry (09/23-09/30)
09/23: Asher, Chapters 1-3 (1-77)
09/25: Asher, Chapters 4-5, 8 (78-118, 177-204)
09/30: Excerpt: Brehm’s The Phantom Respondents (Course Pack #7)
*** Exam #1 *** Thursday, October 2nd
Section II: Influences on and of Public Opinion
Political Socialization (10/07)
10/07: Clawson and Oxley, Chapter 2 (29-54)
Economic Self-Interest (10/16-10/21)
10/09: Kinder and Kiewiet’s “Economic Discontent and Political Behavior” (On-line)
Gomez and Wilson’s “Political Sophistication and Economic Voting” (On-line)
10/14: FALL BREAK—NO CLASS MEETING
10/16: Inglehart’s “The Silent Revolution in Europe” (On-line)
*** Paper #1 Due *** Thursday, October 16th
The Media (10/21-10/28)
10/21: Clawson and Oxley, Chapter 3 (55-94)
Excerpts: Goldberg’s Bias and Chait’s “Victim Politics” (On-line)
10/23: RELIGION AND POLITICS CONFERENCE—NO CLASS MEETING
10/28: Excerpt: Iyengar and Kinder’s News That Matters (Course Pack #8)
Effects of Public Opinion on Government (10/30-11/04)
10/30: Clawson and Oxley, Chapter 11 (312-340)
11/04: Miller and Stokes’ “Constituency Influence in Congress” (On-line)
Page and Shapiro’s “Effects of Public Opinion on Policy” (On-line)
*** Exam #2 *** Thursday, November 6th
Section III: Expressions of Public Opinion
Public Opinion and Foreign Affairs (11/11)
11/11: Mueller’s “Trends in Popular Support for the Wars in Korea and Vietnam” (On-line)
Zaller’s “Strategic Politicians, Public Opinion, and the Gulf Crisis” (Course Pack #9)
Public Opinion and Democratic Values (11/13)
11/13: Prothro and Grigg’s “Fundamental Principles of Democracy” (On-line)
McClosky’s “Consensus and Ideology in American Politics” (On-line)
Public Opinion and Poverty Attitudes (11/18-11/20)
11/18: Excerpt: Hochschild’s What’s Fair? (Course Pack #10)
U.S. Census Bureau Income Statistics (Course Pack #11)
11/20: Feldman and Zaller’s “The Political Culture of Ambivalence” (On-line)
Feldman and Steenbergen’s “The Humanitarian Foundation” (On-line)
Public Opinion and Abortion (11/25)
11/25: Excerpt: Luker’s Abortion and the Politics of Motherhood (Course Pack #12)
Los Angeles Times Abortion Poll Results (Course Pack #13)
THANKSGIVING: NO CLASS MEETING 11/27
Public Opinion and Racial Issues (12/02-12/04)
12/02: Sniderman and Carmines, Chapters 1-2 (1-58)
12/04: Sniderman and Carmines, Chapter 3-5 (59-155)
*** Paper #2 Due *** Thursday, December 4th
*** Final Exam *** Tuesday, December 9th (3:00 pm)