IPR - Institute for Policy Research - Northwestern University

IPR
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ever in national life and the democratic process. The
authors draw on their original and extensive research—
a national survey of 1,500 Americans—to illuminate
how, when, and why citizens talk to each other about
the issues of the day. They find that—in settings ranging
from one-on-one conversations and e-mail exchanges
to larger and more formal gatherings—80 percent of
Americans regularly participate in public discussions
about pressing issues of concern from the Iraq War to
economic development and race relations. Pinpointing
the real benefits of public discourse while considering
arguments that question its importance, the authors
offer an authoritative and clear-eyed assessment of
deliberation’s function in American governance, as well
as concrete recommendations for increasing the power
of talk to foster political action.
< Politics of Dissensus and Entitlement Programs
In a forthcoming chapter, Cook is also investigating
the “politics of dissensus” that has come to surround
Social Security and Medicare since the mid-1990s at
the policy-elite level—despite the programs’ enduring
popularity with the American people. At a time when
possible reforms for Social Security and Medicare are
under discussion, Cook and Czaplewski step back to
assess the public’s views of the two programs and which
reforms, if any, the public favors. Using dozens of
public opinion polls from 1984 to 2006, they find that
the public is highly committed to the two programs but
expresses concerns about their financial stability. Members
of the public have voiced support for a few incremental
changes, such as lowering cost-of-living adjustments
for Social Security, and opposition to a number
of others, such as partial privatization of Social Security.
The researchers encourage policymakers to take a careful
look at where the public stands and build on that support
to overcome the current politics of dissensus.
< Developing a National Energy Policy
With a new head at the Department of Energy and
President Obama’s pledge to increase renewable energy
sources, U.S. energy policies of years past will undoubtedly
change. Yet whether this will lead to a comprehensive
national energy policy remains to be seen.
In a Public Opinion Quarterly article, Cook and IPR
Dennis Chong and Mark Peffley compare notes
during a workshop on political and social behavior.
graduate research assistant Toby Bolsen argue that part
of developing a national energy policy hinges on what
the public thinks. Cook and Bolsen reviewed trends in
public opinion polls from 1974 to 2006 on traditional
energy sources, alternative energy sources, and citizens’
priorities on energy alternatives. They find that public
concern about the U.S. energy situation is as high as it
was during the nation’s first energy crises in the 1970s.
They also find rising support for nuclear energy and for
conservation efforts through energy-efficient appliances,
vehicles, homes, and offices rather than higher fuel
taxes at the pump. Though these findings provide some
indication of what Americans want in a national energy
policy, Cook and Bolsen stress that much remains to be
done to flesh out a more comprehensive understanding
of their views.
< Theory of Framing in Political Communication
Political scientists James Druckman and Dennis
Chong have developed a theory of how citizens form
political opinions and how political and media elites
affect these views. Framing occurs when in the course
of describing an issue or event, a speaker’s emphasis
on a subset of potentially relevant considerations
causes individuals to focus on these concerns when
constructing their opinions. For example, if a speaker
describes a hate-group rally in terms of free speech, then
the audience will subsequently base their opinions about
the rally on free speech considerations and support the
right to rally. In contrast, if the speaker uses a public
safety frame, the audience will base their opinions on
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