M3S: Building the Modern State: Public Opinion and Governability
Read the information in the following article:
– Speier, H. (1950). Historical Development of Public Opinion,American Journal of Sociology, 55, 4. 376-388
http://www.jstor.org/stable/2772299?&seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents
Answer the following questions: One or two paragraphs each question:
(1.) How does Speier define public opinion?
(2.) Until the French Revolution writers feared that the public at large were unreliable due to superstition, prejudice, and excess passion. Who did earlier writers believe was likely to hold reasonable opinions?
(3.) What does Speier mean when he says that “Public opinion is a phenomenon of middle-class civilization”?
(4.) What new ways to circulate information helped the new middle class learn about current affairs?
