Overview

When asked what the place of government should be in the life of a nation, the public's answer is often a paradox: they say government is doing too many things but want activities continued, if not expanded. This book, based on a national survey, explores the paradox and the difference it makes. Ambivalence about government affects which voices get heard in politics and which do not. It bears on the parties people support, whether they vote and how they vote. Those who send mixed signals about government can tip the balance in elections and are key to coalitions of support on issues between elections. The analyses presented here seek to shed light on the nature of public opinion itself. The authors show that ambivalence about government is an identifiable and enduring feature of American public opinion.

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9780943875927

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<p>This volume -- rich in insights far beyond what can be summarized here -- imparts one lesson no politician or political reporter should ever forget. People think in more than one dimension. It is far too easy to categorize voters in simplistic liberal or conservative camps or to create stereotypes like soccer moms or angry white males that conceal more than they reveal. The Cantrils' [conclusions] serve as a rebuke to all such thinking.--David Broder Washington Post Book World

When it comes to their preferred role for government, many Americans manage to be both conservative and liberal at the same time... Reading Mixed Signals offers an up-to-date and comprehensive analysis of this fascinating paradox which has proven to be an enduring feature of American public opinion. -- Michael Kagay New York Times This volume-rich in insights far beyond what can be summarized here-imparts one lesson no politician or political reporter should ever forget. People think in more than one dimension. It is far too easy to categorize voters in simplistic liberal or conservative camps or to create stereotypes like soccer moms or angry white males that conceal more than they reveal. The Cantrils' [conclusions] serve as a rebuke to all such thinking. -- David Broder Washington Post Book World It is unusual for scholarship and newsworthiness to blend so fortuitously. -- Bernard RoshcoFormer, Editor Public OpinionQuarterly

<p> This volume -- rich in insights far beyond what can be summarized here -- imparts one lesson no politician or political reporter should ever forget. People think in more than one dimension. It is far too easy to categorize voters in simplistic liberal or conservative camps or to create stereotypes like soccer moms or angry white males that conceal more than they reveal. The Cantrils' [conclusions] serve as a rebuke to all such thinking. -- David Broder, Washington Post Book World

Author Information

Albert H. Cantril and Susan Davis Cantril are independent analysts of public opinion based in Washington, D.C.

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