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Samuel Merritt College *

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Political Science

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Dec 6, 2023

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docx

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Uploaded by cramos987

Topic I: Factors Shaping Public Opinion Explain the factors that shape public opinion. Explain how these opinions are measured in curves: Skewed, bimodal, unimodal, and polarizing. Discuss how instability, or polarization, in public opinion affects politics, give an example. Explain the common nature of the unimodal distribution effect and recent changes to this curve. Public opinion serves as a platform for individuals who are free and equal citizens to engage in meaningful interactions, exchange knowledge, and partake in discussions pertaining to shared concerns. According to Odugbemi (2015), public opinion refers to the prevailing viewpoint on a public issue once it has undergone discussion in the public domain. It covers the collective attitudes, beliefs, and sentiments of individuals within a society on a wide range of subjects and topics. The media, as well as social interactions and personal experiences, are two aspects that affect public opinion. The media takes advantage of framing, which may generate different emotions and alter how individuals interpret information, while also shaping public attention and prioritizing certain topics over others. By using specific language, imagery, and context, the media can manipulate the narrative and evoke emotions or reactions from the audience. Curves or distributions are frequently used to measure and represent opinions. A skewed curve indicates a situation in which most people share one opinion, while a smaller percentage support another. A bimodal distribution shows two significant groups of individuals with opposing viewpoints and very few in the middle or neutral. In an unimodal distribution, the majority of people share similar opinions, and their responses tend to cluster around a single point on the scale. A polarizing distribution represents a situation in which opinions are severely divided into extreme positions, with little agreement in the middle. When public opinion is split, elected officials' decision-making becomes more difficult. They must consider the interests of many public groups, and it can be difficult to make choices that satisfy everyone, resulting in tough choices (Rainie, 2019). Understanding the dynamics of opinion curves and implementing effective strategies can facilitate the process of making decisions that truly reflect the opinions of the people. References: Odugbemi, S. (2015, September 4). Public opinion, the public sphere, and quality of governance: An exploration . GSDRC. https://gsdrc.org/document-library/public-opinion-the-public-sphere- and-quality-of-governance-an-exploration/ Rainie, L. (2019, July 22). Trust and distrust in America . Pew Research Center - U.S. Politics & Policy. https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2019/07/22/trust-and-distrust-in-america/

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