Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: Can the location of a polling place prime voters to think in certain ways? Using experiments and precinct-level data, we find that voters who cast their votes in a church were less supportive of gay marriage than voters.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: After the 1948, when Truman’s victory over Dewey surprised the public and the pollsters, public opinion polling faced a legitimacy crisis. As this paper shows, nascent survey researchers played an important role in helping pollsters to survive and prosper. In discussing academics’ efforts to preserve polling for social science and democracy, this paper adds to scholarly knowledge about the growing legitimation and use of public opinion polls for measuring public opinion as well as shifts in political science and other social sciences. The paper draws from oral histories of academic survey pioneers and leading pollsters, as well as contemporaneous publications, reports, and unpublished letters and memos.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Nearly all major media outlets now have an affiliated polling organization. The depth and breadth of the polling agenda at those organizations shapes the potential for poll results to be included in news coverage, but we know little about the causal determinants of those polling agendas. Why and when are questions asked about this set of topics? I hypothesize that the polling agenda is produced through the interactive effects of the news agenda; legislative and interest group activity; and potentially long term interests of the polling unit. As news attention, legislative attention, and interest group mobilization on an issue increase, the issue is more likely to be on the polling agenda. As news cycles peak and legislative attention and interest group mobilization wane, the issue is more likely to drop off the polling agenda. Questions on long term issues, such as abortion, may be immune to such transitory pressures. I have collected and coded by topic every CBS Evening News story, every poll question asked by the CBS/NYT polling organization, every Congressional bill and hearing, and every active interest group in the 1980s, a time when the policy responsiveness lit shows great change.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: In 2000 the National Annenberg Election Survey conducted an opinion poll of 58,373 randomly selected Americans, making it the largest study ever conducted of opinions on government and politics. The size of the sample enables conclusions to be drawn with some confidence about population groups too small to be captured in traditional cross sectional studies. This study examined the political attitudes and activities of Native Americans, Asians, and Sub-groups of Hispanics. Results indicate that while Native Americans are less likely to register to vote than non-Native Americans they are as likely as other groups to say they follow government and public affairs. Asian Americans, even when controlling for citizenship and voter registration, are less likely to vote than other Americans. We also found that there is a wide diversity of opinions among sub-cultures within the category “Hispanic.” Those from Puerto Rico, Mexico, Central America, and Cuba often had different attitudes and demonstrated differing levels of political engagement.