Muffled Echoes: Oliver North and the Politics of Public Opinion FROM THE PUBLISHER
Ten years ago the Iran-Contra affair swept the headlines as the nation watched an indignant Lt. Col. Oliver North testify before a congressional committee. Although polls showed that most Americans were critical of North's actions and ambivalent toward the man himself, media coverage left the opposite impression, with its broadcasts of "Ollie-for-president" rallies and stories of congressional aides overwhelmed by a torrent of pro-North mail. In this book, public opinion is more than the sum of a pollster's tally; instead, Amy Fried defines it as a political tool, integral to the political process, where vested interests compete to legitimize their interpretation of the public voice. Fried explores the construction, interpretation, and uses of public opinion, raising important questions about the media and the role of special interest groups in determining policy.
SYNOPSIS
According to Amy Fried, public opinion is more than the sum of a pollster's tally; instead, it as a political tool, integral to the political process, where vested interests compete to legitimize their interpretation of the public voice. Fried explores the construction, interpretation, and uses of public opinion, raising important questions abo
FROM THE CRITICS
George E. Marcus
A masterful combination of theorizing and rich data analysis that provides a deeper and richer account of public opinion than has hitherto been published. This lucid account is an invaluable addition to the literature on public opinion. I also found it to be a major contribution to empirical democratic theory.
Booknews
Examines the ways in which the media, interest groups, polarization
in government, and increasing political alienation interact to create
politically consequential impressions of public opinion, analyzing
these interactions in five cases, with emphasis on Oliver North and
the Iran-contra affair. Discusses North's testimony to the
congressional Iran-contra committee, as well as theoretical issues
such as how public opinion is incorporated into the political system
and its implication for democracy.
Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.
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