Public opinion quarterly

Public Affairs Quarterly

The purpose of this essay is to offer criteria for the identification of propaganda as a type of discourse, and for the analysis and evaluation of argumentation used in propaganda.1 Ten essential characteristics (as well as several other typical properties) of propaganda as an identifiable type of discourse are given. Some advice is given on how to analyze argumentation in propaganda, and to re...

Opinion: Conducting science in the public eye

Doing science is usually hidden behinds the wall of the lab and universities, and thus immune from immediate public scrutiny. The current COVID-19 pandemic has dragged the scientific process and its fruits in the public eye. In this short piece, I attempt to discuss the effect of conducting science in the public eye on the public’s perception of science and scientists.

public opinion and public policy (theoretical subject)

public opinion is one of the key elements that affects public policy. the importance of public opinion depends on the type of political system, and the process of public policy is also affected by the nature of political system. therefore the effect of public opinion on public policy is different, on the basis of the nature of the political system. the purpose of this article is to analyze this...

Studies in Public Opinion

Theories of public opinion

While the issue of citizen competency has vexed scholars throughout history, the modern concepts of a mass public and mass media are relatively new. Beginning with the seminal works of Lippmann and Dewey, we chart the evolving theories of public opinion, from the "hypodermic needle" model of the early twentieth century to the more psychologically oriented approach to media effects of today. We ...