Collective Preferences in Democratic Politics: Opinion Surveys and the Will of the People

by Scott L. Althaus

Overview

Since so few people appear knowledgeable about public affairs, one might question whether collective policy preferences revealed in opinion surveys accurately convey the distribution of voices and interests in a society. Scott Althaus' comprehensive analysis of the relationship between knowledge, representation, and political equality (in opinion surveys) leads to surprising answers. Knowledge does matter, and the way it is dispensed in society can cause collective preferences to reflect opinions disproportionately. Accordingly, the study can help survey researchers, journalists, politicians, and concerned citizens better appreciate the problems and potentials of the usage of opinion polls to represent the people's voice.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521527873
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	09/08/2003
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	388
Product dimensions:	5.98(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.98(d)

Table of Contents

1. Introduction; Part I. Illusions of Aggregation: 2. The power of noise; 3. Who speaks for the people?; Part II. Information Effects in Collective Preferences: 4. The impact of information effects; 5. The structure and causes of information effects; 6. The temporal dynamics of information effects; Part III. Opinion Surveys and Democratic Politics: 7. Opinion surveys and the will of the people; 8. What surveys can tell us about public opinion.

Editorial Reviews

2004 Goldsmith Book Prize, Winner
2004 David Easton Prize, Winner