Issue Publics (Paperback)

Timothy J. Ryan

ISBN 10: 1009242415 / ISBN 13: 9781009242417

Published by Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2023

About this Item

Paperback. An often-forgotten passage of Philip Converse's classic essay on mass belief systems introduced the concept of an issue public a segment of voters that has crystallized attitudes about a particular topic. Some people deeply care about particular topics, and they might be equipped to reach judgments on these topics. This simple idea could provide an important corrective to work that casts citizens' political competence in a negative light. But, previous attempts to evaluate the issue publics hypothesis have been unsatisfying. This Element proposes and tests a new measurement approach for identifying issue publics. The evidence gathered leads to the conclusion that issue publics exist, but are smaller and more particularistic than existing scholarship presumes them to be. As such, researchers underappreciate the significance of issue opinions in electoral politics. An often-forgotten passage of Philip Converse's classic essay on mass belief systems introduced the concept of an issue public-a segment of voters that has crystallized attitudes about a particular topic. This simple idea could provide an important corrective to work that casts citizens' political competence in a negative light. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability.

Seller Inventory # 9781009242417

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Issue Publics (Paperback)
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press, Cambridge
• Publication Date: 2023
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1009242415
• ISBN 13: 9781009242417
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: new

About this title

Synopsis

An often-forgotten passage of Philip Converse's classic essay on mass belief systems introduced the concept of an issue public – a segment of voters that has crystallized attitudes about a particular topic. Some people deeply care about particular topics, and they might be equipped to reach judgments on these topics. This simple idea could provide an important corrective to work that casts citizens' political competence in a negative light. But, previous attempts to evaluate the issue publics hypothesis have been unsatisfying. This Element proposes and tests a new measurement approach for identifying issue publics. The evidence gathered leads to the conclusion that issue publics exist, but are smaller and more particularistic than existing scholarship presumes them to be. As such, researchers underappreciate the significance of issue opinions in electoral politics.