The Rational Public

This monumental study is a comprehensive critical survey of

the policy preferences of the American public, and will be

the definitive work on American public opinion for some time

to come. Drawing on an enormous body of public opinion data,

Benjamin I. Page and Robert Y. Shapiro provide the richest

available portrait of the political views of Americans, from

the 1930’s to 1990. They not only cover all types of

domestic and foreign policy issues, but also consider how

opinions vary by age, gender, race, region, and the like.

The authors unequivocally demonstrate that, notwithstanding fluctuations in the opinions of individuals,

collective public opinion is remarkably coherent: it

reflects a stable system of values shared by the majority of

Americans and it responds sensitively to new events,

arguments, and information reported in the mass media. While

documenting some alarming case of manipulation, Page and

Shapiro solidly establish the soundness and value of

collective political opinion. The Rational Public

provides a wealth of information about what we as a nation

have wanted from government, how we have changed our minds

over the years, and why.

For anyone interested in the short- and long-term trends

in Americans’ policy preferences, or eager to learn what

Americans have thought about issues ranging from racial

equality to the MX missile, welfare to abortion, this book

offers by far the most sophisticated and detailed treatment

available.