POLS-Y 567: Public Opinion – Approaches and Issues

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 measured, how it is influenced, and how it, in turn, influences governmental policy; and public opinion in specific issue areas of contemporary American politics.

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.

Please review the syllabus for full course information.

This is a Full Semester course. Participants may register for one Full Semester course OR one course each in Winter/Spring I and Winter/Spring II.

Related Courses by Institution
POLS-Y 661 American Political Institutions (Winter/Spring 2021)
POLS-Y 675 Political Philosophy (Summer 2021)
POLS-P 570 Introduction to the Study of Politics (Fall 2021)
POLS-Y 567 Public Opinion: Approach and Issues (Winter/Spring 2022)
POLS-Y 580 Research Methods in Political Science (Summer 2022)
POLS-Y 657 Comparative Politics (Fall 2022)
POLS-Y 661 American Political Institutions (Winter/Spring 2023)