3rd Edition

New Directions in Public Opinion

Edited By Adam J. Berinsky Copyright 2020
    412 Pages 37 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge

    412 Pages 37 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge

    The 2016 elections called into question the accuracy of public opinion polling while tapping into new streams of public opinion more widely. The third edition of this well-established text addresses these questions and adds new perspectives to its authoritative line-up. The hallmark of this book is making cutting-edge research accessible and understandable to students and general readers. Here we see a variety of disciplinary approaches to public opinion reflected including psychology, economics, sociology, and biology in addition to political science. An emphasis on race, gender, and new media puts the elections of 2016 into context and prepares students to look ahead to 2020 and beyond.

    New to the third edition:

    • Includes 2016 election results and their implications for public opinion polling going forward.

    • Three new chapters have been added on racializing politics, worldview politics, and the modern information environment.

    • New authors include Shanto Iyengar, Michael Tesler, Vladimir E. Medenica, Erin Cikanek, Danna Young, Jennifer Jerit, and Jake Haselswerdt.

    Introduction and Overview, Adam Berinsky

    Part I: The Meaning and Measurement of Public Opinion

    1. The Practice of Survey Research: Changes and Challenges, D. Sunshine Hillygus

    2. Citizen Competence and Democratic Governance, Martin Gilens

    Part II: Foundations of Political Preferences

    3. Ideology and Public Opinion, Christopher Federico

    4. Affective Polarization or Hostility across the Party Divide: An Overview, Shanto Iyengar

    5. Racial Attitudes and American Politics, Michael Tesler

    6. Race, Ethnicity, and Public Opinion, Erica Czaja and Vladimir E. Medenica

    7. Categorical Politics in Action: Gender and the 2016 Presidential Election, Nancy Burns, Donald Kinder and Molly Reynolds

    8. Worldview Politics, Marc Hetherington

    9. The Emotional Foundations of Democratic Citizenship, Ted Brader and Erin Cikanek

    10. No Longer "Beyond our Scope": The Biological and Non-Conscious Underpinnings of Public Opinion, Frank Gonzalez, John Hibbing, and Kevin Smith

    Part III: The Public and Society

    11. The "Daily Them": Hybridity, Political Polarization and Presidential Leadership in a Digital Media Age, Matt Baum and Danna Young

    12. How People Learn About Politics: Navigating the Information Environment, Jennifer Jerit

    13. Campaigns and Elections, John Sides and Jake Haselswerdt

    14. Ambivalence in American Public Opinion about Immigration, Deborah Schildkraut

    15. Public Opinion and Public Policy, Andrea Louise Campbell and Elizabeth Rigby

    Conclusion: Assessing Continuity and Change, David Sears

    Index

    Biography

    Adam J. Berinsky is the Mitsui Professor of Political Science at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and director of the MIT Political Experiments Research Lab. He is the author of In Time of War: Understanding American Public Opinion from World War II to Iraq (Chicago) and Silent Voices: Public Opinion and Political Participation in America (Princeton). He has received numerous awards for his research.

    Praise for Prior Editions:

    "Berinsky has brought together a world-class group of scholars working on cutting edge puzzles in the causes and consequences of public opinion. The book is an excellent resource for students, containing foundational insights about measurement and research design, electoral dynamics, and campaign media strategy. The largest contribution of this volume, however, may be the treasure trove of ideas for future research on the impact of group attitudes and identities in structuring our politics."

    -- Nicholas A. Valentino, University of Michigan

    "Berinsky’s masterful structuring of the book will allow it to be used as either a main text or a supplementary reader in a wide variety of courses. With just the right mix of analytical depth and topical breadth, this text will provide a solid grounding in six decades of public opinion research while also engaging and exciting students with its timely essays on pioneering new developments in the field."       

    -- Matthew Jacobsmeier, West Virginia University

    "In the latest edition of Berinsky’s New Directions in Public Opinion, leading scholars of public opinion have written engaging chapters that survey recent research. Berinsky’s volume continues to be the best overview of the topic, perfect for students who want to learn about new developments."

    -- Gabriel Lenz, University of California-Berkeley