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Polling America [Two Volumes]
An Encyclopedia of Public Opinion
 Samuel J. Best, ed., Benjamin Radcliff, ed.

0-313-32701-7/978-0-313-32701-8

Description
While the definition of public opinion may seem simple, it is often difficult to determine what the public's opinion is on any given issue and how to interpret its meaning. This two-volume encyclopedia defines and discusses the history and development of public opinion as a concept in democracy, major public opinion controversies in American politics, and the science and methods of opinion polling.

Reviews:
-Samuel Best and Benjamin Radcliff have produced an engaging encyclopedia on many aspects of polling and public opinion research. The two volumes cover more than 170 topics, ranging from terms used in polling to topics frequently covered in polls....The entries make interesting reading. There is extensive cross-referencing within entries, which helps the uninitiated to find their way more easily....Polling America is a valuable and useful addition to most reference collections. The wide range of topics, depth of coverage, and value added features, such as the list of suggested readings for each topic, make this a work highly recommended for all academic libraries. —Reference & User Services Quarterly
-From agree/disagree questioning to survey error and weighting, Polling America reviews the science of opinion polling. The 174 alphabetically-arranged essays present the basic theories, methods, and uses of public opinion research. Exit polls, response rates, sample sizes, focus groups, assessment methods and measurement models are among the concepts explained. Also explored are questions of religious, racial and gender differences in response to surveys. Changes in public opinion in the United States are examined in historical overviews of such perennial issues of debate as abortion, taxes, crime, gun control, immigration and health policy. Other entries describe the affects on public opinion of media reporting, campaign advertising, racial stereotypes and political labeling.... With substantial, expert-written essays and extensive suggestions for further reading, Polling America provides a firm foundation in the theory of public opinion research. —Lawrence Looks at Books
About the Author
Samuel J. Best is director of the Center for Survey Research and Anaylsis and Associate Professor of public policy at the University of Connecticut. He is the author of numerous articles on public opinion and survey methods.

Benjamin Radcliff is Professor of political science and director of graduate studies at the University of Notre Dame. He has published extensively in such journals as American Political Science Review, the American Journal of Political Science, and the Journal of Politics.
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0-313-32701-7 978-0-313-32701-8 Polling America [Two Volumes] £181.95    
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