Public Opinion

Partisanship, Political Knowledge, and Changing Economic Conditions

by Christopher Lawrence

Existing research is replete with evidence that individuals’ perceptions of the state of the economy are seemingly... more Existing research is replete with evidence that individuals’ perceptions of the state of the economy are seemingly only loosely connected to more objective evaluations of its state and are contaminated by partisan influences. This paper provides further evidence of why these partisan influences come about, by advancing the hypothesis that citizen political knowledge moderates the effect of partisanship on economic evaluations, grounded in Zaller’s Receive-Accept-Sample model of opinion formation and articulation. The paper also advances the hypothesis that more knowledgeable partisans will respond to changes in elite messaging regarding the economy fairly rapidly after a change in control of the government.

I examine these propositions using data from the ANES panel study of public opinion between January 2008 and June 2010, and find evidence affirming the essential interactive role of knowledge and partisanship in the formation and articulation of evaluations of the national economy.

The Truth is Never Black and White: An Examination of Race-Related Interviewer Effects in the Contemporary South

by Christopher Lawrence

Co-authored with Scott Huffmon and Adolphus Belk, Jr.

In this paper, we expand the existing research on interviewer effects in telephone surveys by investigating the... more In this paper, we expand the existing research on interviewer effects in telephone surveys by investigating the interacting effects of interviewers’ race on responses to a survey of African American southerners conducted in February 2009 by the Social and Behavioral Research Lab at Winthrop University on questions regarding topics such as respondents’ political knowledge, attitudes toward Barack Obama’s presidency, and beliefs about race in southern and American society.

La Pelea del Southern Poverty Law Center contra el racismo y la intolerancia organizada

by Oleski Miranda

Artículo de opinión

La retórica antiinmigrante

by Oleski Miranda

Artículo de opinión

Sobre la inmigración ilegal

by Oleski Miranda

Artículo de opinión

Katrina o la crónica de un desastre anunciado

by Oleski Miranda

Artículo de opinión

Klout, la medición de la influencia digital

by Javier Serrano Puche

Published in 'Perspectivas del mundo de la comunicación', nº 68, enero-febrero de 2012, pp. 4-5.

Klout es una herramienta web que evalúa la influencia de una persona o marca a través de la monitorización de su uso... more Klout es una herramienta web que evalúa la influencia de una persona o marca a través de la monitorización de su uso de las redes sociales. Su éxito demuestra la creciente importancia de detectar quiénes son los líderes de opinión en el ámbito digital

Türkiye Kamuoyu ve Avrupa Birliği 2001-2008: Beklentiler, İstekler ve Korkular

by Uluslararası İlişkiler

Özgehan Şenyuva, " Türkiye Kamuoyu ve Avrupa Birliği 2001-2008: Beklentiler, İstekler ve Korkular ", Uluslararası İlişkiler, Cilt 6, Sayı 22 (Yaz), 2009

Bu çalışma, 2001 ve 2008 yılları arasında yapılmış olan AvroBarometre çalışmalarından hareketle, Türk kamuoyunun... more Bu çalışma, 2001 ve 2008 yılları arasında yapılmış olan AvroBarometre çalışmalarından hareketle, Türk kamuoyunun Avrupa Birliği’ne genel bakışındaki temel eğilimleri incelemektedir. Ele alınan en önemli nokta, Türkiye’nin Avrupa Birliği’ne tam üyeliğine bireyler tarafından verilen destekte zaman içerisinde belirli bir istikrar olup olmadığıdır. Buna paralel olarak, Avrupa Birliği ve Avrupa kimliğine Türk kamuoyunun bakışında yaşanan değişikliklerin ortaya çıkarılması ve genel eğilimlerin belirlenmesi hedeflenmektedir. 2001-2008 yılları arasında Türk kamuoyunun genel tutum ve eğilimlerine bakıldığında, Avrupa Birliği’nin ciddi anlamda bir güven ve destek kaybına uğradığı görülmektedir. AB üyeliğine verilen desteğin ise, zamanla düştüğü ve dönemsel dalgalanmalar geçirdiği gözlemlenmiştir.

When Partisans are Attacked: Motivated Reasoning and the New Party System

by J. Scott Matthews

Presented at the Parties and Elections Workshop (St. John's), 2010
Accepted as part of an edited volume at UBC Press.

Could Polls Matter? Evaluating the Preconditions for Poll Effects

by J. Scott Matthews

Co-authored with Fred Cutler and Mark Pickup

The Mediated Horserace: Campaign Polls and Poll Reporting

by J. Scott Matthews

Co-authored with Mark Pickup and Fred Cutler
Forthcoming in the Canadian Journal of Political Science

Although “horserace journalism” is thought to be central to contemporary election news coverage and has generated a... more Although “horserace journalism” is thought to be central to contemporary election news coverage and has generated a great deal of criticism, there is no general model of the nature and dynamics of horserace journalism or “poll reporting.” This paper proposes and empirically evaluates such a model. The model builds on and extends John Zaller’s “theory of media politics” to consider specifically what citizens demand from polls and what journalists supply. Aside from the generic motivations of politicians, citizens and journalists, the model emphasizes the unique features of polls as objects of news coverage. The paper finds considerable support for the model in an analysis of newspaper coverage of horserace polls (that is, vote intention polls) in the Canadian general election of 2006. Our findings from this one case have potentially broad implications for our understanding of the relationship between polls and electoral democracy both empirically and normatively.

Même si le journalisme de course (“horserace journalism”) est vu comme étant une composante centrale de la couverture électorale et qu’il a généré sa part de critiques, il n’existe pas de modèle général de la nature et de la dynamique de ce type de journalisme. Cet article propose, et évalue empiriquement, un tel modèle. Prenant comme point de départ la « Theory of Media Politics » de John Zaller, ce modèle considère plus spécifiquement ce que les citoyens demandent des sondages et ce que les journalistes leurs procurent. Au-delà des motivations génériques des politiciens, citoyens et journalistes, le modèle met l’accent sur les caractéristiques uniques des sondages en tant qu’objet de couverture journalistique. L’article présente des résultats supportant considérablement le modèle à travers une analyse de la couverture des sondages par les journaux (c’est-à-dire des sondages sur les intentions de vote) durant l’élection générale canadienne de 2006. Nos résultats émanant de ce cas ont potentiellement des implications beaucoup plus grandes pour notre compréhension de la relation entre les sondages et la démocratie électorale, à la fois sur le plan empirique et sur le plan normatif.

The Horse(race)-Drawn Media (Band)Wagon

by J. Scott Matthews

Co-authored with Mark Pickup, Blake Andrew and Fred Cutler
Presented at the AGM of the Canadian Political Science Association, 2010

Regionalism in Political Attitudes, 1993 to 2010

by J. Scott Matthews

Co-authored with Matthew Mendelsohn and Randy Besco
Presented at the State of the Federation Conference (Toronto), 2010
Under review as part of an edited volume at McGill-Queen's University Press.

The Courts/Parliament Trade-off: The View from the Canadian Election Study

by J. Scott Matthews

Co-authored with Elizabeth Goodyear-Grant and Janet Hiebert
Presented at the AGM of the Canadian Political Science Association, 2010

Rights of public access to the foreshore: A study of public awareness and opinions: Summer Research Scholarship Report

by Brendan Doody

This study examines the way a sample of Christchurch residents use the foreshore for outdoor recreation, how they... more This study examines the way a sample of Christchurch residents use the foreshore for outdoor recreation, how they perceive their access rights and what they think about proposed foreshore and access initiatives. It responds to recent events that have highlighted the importance of access rights to New Zealanders, specifically the foreshore debate. The Land Access Ministerial Reference Group report released in August 2003 was an additional catalyst. The study has three objectives: 1. To investigate the public’s use of, and need for, access to the foreshore; 2. To gain an understanding of what the Christchurch sample population know about their access rights to the foreshore; and 3. To determine what opinions the public hold about the Government’s proposed public domain foreshore land tenure and the ‘solutions’ suggested by the Land Access Ministerial Reference Group (LAMRG) report. A questionnaire survey of 300 Christchurch residents was conducted in December 2003 to investigate these objectives.

Rights of public access to the foreshore: a study of public awareness and opinions

by Brendan Doody

Doody, B. J. & Booth, K. L. (2006). "Rights of public access in New Zealand: Public opinion about foreshore access and proposals to improve land access." Annals of Leisure Research 9(1-2): 62-85.

The New Zealand government has initiated new policy for the public’s rights of access to land, and the foreshore in... more The New Zealand government has initiated new policy for the public’s rights of access to land, and the foreshore in particular. Despite this policy activity, little is known about the public’s views on their access rights. A survey of 300 Christchurch residents examined respondents’ use of, and need for, access to the foreshore, their knowledge of foreshore access rights, and opinions about selected access policy proposals. Results show that respondents highly value the foreshore for recreational purposes and expect to be able to go there without charge. Most believe the foreshore should be in public ownership. Knowledge of access rights was found to be low, suggesting policy should place emphasis on improving public knowledge and awareness about access to existing recreational resources rather than increasing the extent of the accessible resource. General support was given for a range of land access policy proposals, including greater portrayal of access information on maps and on-site access signposting; however, the likely effectiveness of such proposals is less certain.

Öffentliche Meinung aus dem Netz? Neue Internet-Anwendungen und Public Relations

by Thomas Pleil

¿Importa Europa en las Elecciones Europeas? Un modelo explicativo de las elecciones del 2009 al Parlamento Europeo

by Diego Garzia

Published in 'Revista Española de Investigaciones Sociológicas ', Volume 137, 2012
(co-authored with Paolo Bellucci and Martino Rubal)

Este trabajo evalúa la validez de diferentes modelos interpretativos del comportamiento electoral en las elecciones... more Este trabajo evalúa la validez de diferentes modelos interpretativos del comportamiento electoral en las elecciones europeas partiendo del resultado de junio de 2009. Nos centramos, en primer lugar, en modelos que conectan el voto europeo con aspectos políticos basados en el nivel nacional (modelo de segundo orden) y en el ciclo electoral doméstico (modelo de ciclo electoral); en segundo lugar se evalúa la capacidad explicativa de un modelo reñido con las interpretaciones tradicionales, y basado en el papel de la posición de los partidos políticos y la campaña electoral (modelo de Europa importa). Finalmente, se avanza un modelo sintético, con el objetivo de proporcionar una más sólida explicación de las elecciones de 2009 al Parlamento Europeo.

TÁRKI - Választáskutatás - Pátrpreferencia 2012. március - Tavaszi zsongás

by TARKI Social Research Institute

A TÁRKI Társadalomkutatási Intézet 2012. márciusi pártpreferencia-kutatása alapján a kormánypártok előnye továbbra is... more A TÁRKI Társadalomkutatási Intézet 2012. márciusi pártpreferencia-kutatása alapján a kormánypártok előnye továbbra is meggyőző. Az elmúlt hónapokban a bizonytalanok aránya magas szinten, kisebb ingadozások mellett ugyan, de inkább stagnált, ám ezt követően február után márciusban is tovább csökkent a pártot választani nem tudók aránya.

(2012) Evaluación de políticas en contextos de gobierno multinivel: los determinantes de la (in)satisfacción con las políticas de bienestar en las Comunidades Autónomas [Policy evaluation in multilevel contexts: determinants of citizen (dis)satisfaction with welfare policies in Spanish regional governments)

by Eloisa del Pino

Autores JOSE M. DIAZ-PULIDO (URJC), ELOISA DEL PINO(CSIC-IPP) y PAU PALOP (UV)
En: Revista Española de Investigaciones Sociológicas, 139.

There is a growing interest in researching the performance of public policies with a regional perspective. Indicators... more There is a growing interest in researching the performance of public policies with a regional perspective. Indicators based in the citizen assessment of public services that enable territorial comparisons are not frequently available. However, these indicators can be very useful, especially in decentralized States. But, what reflects the citizen (dis)satisfaction with the public policies? Specifically, what factors explain the different degrees of satisfaction between the different territories? Can it be due, for example, to the different demographic composition or to the different socioeconomic characteristics of the territories? Is it possible to believe that these differences are due to the different patterns of organization and management of policies? Here we examine the satisfaction of the Spaniards with three policies: education, health care (whose competencies fall upon the Autonomous Communities) and pensions (that remains a primary responsibility of the Government of Spain). The study uses a survey carried out in 2009 representative in the regional level. The main findings show there are differences in the degree of satisfaction with these three policies between Autonomous Communities, especially in the cases where autonomic governments hold the main responsibility. The differences between the degrees of satisfaction still remain, though reduced, even after controlling for individual variables and other context variables (socioeconomic variables) effects. These findings show that, despite its difficulty, researching the extent to which different degrees of satisfaction are due to the effects of differences in patterns of organization and management of education and health may be promising.