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OnyxCollie

(9,958 posts)
9. People are all messed up.
Wed May 23, 2012, 12:38 PM
May 2012

Read this. I think you'll find it interesting.

The Nature of Belief Systems in Mass Publics
http://politicalbubbles.com/The_Nature_of_Belief_Systems_in_Mass_Publics_Converse_1964.pdf

Converse: The nature of belief systems in mass publics
http://wikisum.com/w/Converse:_The_nature_of_belief_systems_in_mass_publics

A great majority of people neither adhere to a full, complete set of beliefs which produces a clear ideology nor do they have a clear grasp of what ideology is. This is measured by a lack of coherence in responses to open-ended questions. Ideology of elites is not mirrored by the masses and voter revolt to a political party does not reflect ideological shifts.

Converse analyzes open-ended interview questions to measure conceptualization of ideology. He concludes that the liberal-conservative continuum is a high level abstraction not typically used by the man in the street because of response instability and lack of connections made between answers. There is no underlying belief structure for most people, just a bunch of random opinions. Even on highly controversial, well-publicized issues, large portions of the electorate do not have coherent opinions. In fact, many simply answer survey questions as though they are flipping a coin.

Recommendations

0 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

Pigeon holes are for pigeons. Tierra_y_Libertad May 2012 #1
But anti-unionism is NOT for Democrats. arbusto_baboso May 2012 #2
Really? FreeJoe May 2012 #10
Since most people don't have a firm grasp OnyxCollie May 2012 #13
One CANNOT be for economic equality and opportunities ( a HUGE plank of the Dem belief system) arbusto_baboso May 2012 #32
Exactly. n/t lumberjack_jeff May 2012 #14
I'm purely indefinite. nt onehandle May 2012 #3
Meaning what? Cary May 2012 #4
So I take issue with your post insofar as you may be suggesting that... Cary May 2012 #5
I'm not taking that position at all Stinky The Clown May 2012 #6
Notice that I used the words "may be suggesting" Cary May 2012 #11
More to the point, individuals disagree on which is the liberal viewpoint. lumberjack_jeff May 2012 #15
I have seen this "disagreement" Cary May 2012 #17
Sure. lumberjack_jeff May 2012 #20
I would not accuse you being rude or illiberal Cary May 2012 #22
On your edit Cary May 2012 #18
Interestingly this does not let us off the hook here. Cary May 2012 #19
A consistent way of thinking can lead to dissimilar conclusions lumberjack_jeff May 2012 #28
That makes sense, I think n/t Cary May 2012 #29
But there ARE "purity tests" here, and in life. E.g. advocating rightwing social issues Romulox May 2012 #7
Yup Stinky The Clown May 2012 #8
So long as I'm the one who gets to define the "rightwing issue", I'm down with that. lumberjack_jeff May 2012 #16
People are all messed up. OnyxCollie May 2012 #9
I agree with this but I will not let the masses off the hook Cary May 2012 #12
"Conservatives" are corporations. OnyxCollie May 2012 #23
Greed is not good Cary May 2012 #24
People (and corporations) are self-interested. OnyxCollie May 2012 #26
Some views are just plain dumb... ellisonz May 2012 #21
Did you wake up wishing we would bomb Iran, or something? Zanzoobar May 2012 #25
What was it in my OP that caused you to ask that? Stinky The Clown May 2012 #31
It sounded like you were having a republican moment and felt guilty about it. Zanzoobar May 2012 #33
"Scratch a liberal bourgeois and you will find a police sergeant in a brand new uniform" tralala May 2012 #27
I agree. And I think 'neither' is much more common than people think RZM May 2012 #30
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