Numbered Voices by Susan Herbst

Numbered Voices by Susan Herbst

Quantifying the American mood through opinion polls appears to be an unbiased means for finding out what people want. But in Numbered Voices, Susan Herbst demonstrates that the way public opinion is measured affects the use that voters, legislators, and journalists make of it. Exploring the history of public opinion in the United States from the mid-nineteenth century to the present day, Herbst shows how numbers served both instrumental and symbolic functions, not only conveying neutral information but creating a basis authority. Addressing how the quantification of public opinion has affected contemporary politics and the democratic process, Herbst asks difficult but fundamental questions about the workings of American politics.

Herbst, Susan: - Susan Herbst is university professor of political science and president emeritus at the University of Connecticut. She is author of many books and articles including Rude Democracy: Civility and Incivility in America. She is coeditor of the Studies in American Politics series, also published by the University of Chicago Press.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780226327426
ISBN 10	0226327426
Title	Numbered Voices
Author	Susan Herbst
Series	American Politics And Political Economy Series
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Hardback
Publisher	The University of Chicago Press
Year published	1993-04-01
Number of pages	235
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.