Public opinion polling permeates today's politics, yet many seem suspicious of polls and skeptical in their prominence, fearing that overreliance on public opinion amounts to pandering or that pollsters can manipulate a feeble public. In this book Adam Simon argues that democracy requires that government listen to the public and that sample surveys are the finest democratic technology yet devised. He lays out the fundamentals of public opinion research and illustrates his discussion of the science of polling with recent political hot button issues as case studies_the decision to invade Iraq, partial birth abortion, and the Clinton health care debate. He advocates that poll results meet the standard for mass informed consent and should play a larger role in our politics. Simon concludes with recommendations to improve democracy from the standpoint of citizens, politicians, and the media. Mass Informed Consent will be of special interest to students of public opinion, political behavior, media and politics, interest group politics, and political communication.

By Adam F. Simon

Chapter 1: Who deserves the blame for Invading Iraq (and Other Mistakes)?
Chapter 2: The Yes, No and Don't Knows of Political Polling
Chapter 3: Gently Introducing Science, Starring the Median Voter Model and a Test of Citizens' Independence
Chapter 4: Why Do Americans Favor Some Things yet Oppose Others? And, Explaining Republican Success against Partial Birth Abortion
Chapter 5: Questions Are Just as Important as Answers, Particularly in a Study of Public Opinion on the Iraq Invasion
Chapter 6: Debunking Manipulation Myths, Featuring the Infamous Harry and Louise
Chapter 7: Political Reforms and Thoughts on Media Old and New
Chapter 8 Bibliography