Article,
Classical Democracy, Polls, and Public Opinion: Theoretical Frameworks for Studying the Development of Public Sentiment
Communication Theory, 1 (3): 225--238 (1991)
DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-2885.1991.tb00016.x
Abstract
Since the turn of the century, scholars have conducted an enormous amount of research on the history of public opinion. Yet despite the existence of impressive bodies of literature on the subject in sociology, political science, history, and communication, there are still many unanswered questions about the changing nature of opinion expression and assessment. In an attempt to stimulate interest in public opinion history, I propose two frameworks for analyzing the development of opinion expression and measurement techniques over time-classical democratic theory and Weber's theory of rationalization. Use of these theories in an exploratory analysis illuminates the paradox of public opinion in contemporary democratic societies: Polls are an attempt to capture the opinions of all citizens, yet diminish the quality of participation as envisioned by theorists of classical democracy.
