GOVT 2162

US Public Opinion

Course Description

Course information provided by the 2024-2025 Catalog. Courses of Study 2024-2025 is scheduled to publish mid-June.

This course provides an overview of public opinion in the United States. We will learn how opinions affect and are affected by politics. This course is divided into two sections where we will answer two questions. First, what is public opinion and how is it reported in the news? Students will learn how the design and implementation of surveys affects survey outcomes, and why this means we sometimes see different statistics about the public's opinion across news sources. Second, what shapes public opinion? In the second half of the course, we will turn to the different political and personal forces that shape how the public thinks about different issues. For example, how do our friends, family, and elected officials change how we think about current events?

Last 4 Terms Offered 2025SP

Distribution Category (SSC-AS) (SBA-AG)

When Offered Spring.

Course Subfield (AM)

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