Polling America [Two Volumes] An Encyclopedia of Public Opinion

Subjects:

• Political Science » American Politics/Government
• Political Science » Political Philosophy

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 Spring 2006
• 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 January 2006
• High school and undergraduate students as well as general readers will find a wealth of useful information concerning the ubiquitous practice of polling in the U.S. in this two-volume reference. Entries are included both on the perennial issues and on the process of polling (with the emphasis on the latter), so that readers will find entries on abortion, crime, gay rights, and trust in government as well as topics such as content analysis, coverage error, data integration, prospect theory, and weighting. Entries conclude with an annotated list for further reading and notes on websites.
  —Reference & Research Book News November 2005
• This specialized encyclopedia provides college and university and high school students and generalists with more than 170 signed articles covering topics as diverse as Animal rigths; Cohabitation measures; Gay rights; Lippman, Walter; Mail surveys; and Welfare. Collectively these articles define, discuss, and provide historical context form public opinion as a component of modern democracy. Additionally, they explain the practice, theory, measurement methods, and organizations that drive public opinion in the U.S....The entries pack a lot of information into just a few pages, and will serve well as a research starting point for secondary-school and undergraduate students....[w]orthy of consideration by larger public and academic libraries.
  —Booklist/Reference Books Bulletin November 1, 2005
• The wide range of subjects will satisfy the uninformed who seek to understand such things as exit polls and computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI), while professionals will discover thorough treatments of such topics as ecological inference, recall methods, and structural equation modeling....[a]n excellent, mostly accessible resource. Highly recommended, especially for smaller public libraries whose holdings in this important area may be limited.
  —Library Journal 10/15/2005
• Opinion polls have played an increasingly significant role in the dynamics of US policy analysis. Editors Best and Radcliff, both political science scholars, have produced an impressive encyclopedia containing over 170 signed articles that span the study of public opinion. Focusing on the American pulse, the encyclopedia contains two types of entries. The first type provides overviews of policy topics, such as animal rights and gun control, which summarize the evolution of these issues and attitudes of the American public. The second type describes survey and design tools used in the methodology of polling, such as focus group reporting and stratified sampling, along with entries for prominent individuals in the polling field. Substantial in both scope and length, all entries include a bibliography plus a list of important Web sites. A useful appendix includes a list of professional organizations, archives, and academic survey centers for each state.... Recommended. Academic collections supporting lower-level undergraduates and above.
  —Choice 2/1/2006

Table of Contents:

• Headword List
  Preface
  Introduction
  Polling America: An Encyclopedia of Public Opinion
  List of Professional Organizations, Archives, and Polling Centers
  List of Contributors
  Index

PDF Catalogs:

Sale Catalog 2008.pdf