pollsbosnia96

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Interpreting POLL data: 

Interpreting POLL data American Public Opinion and BOSNIA

“American Public Opinion & Civil War in Bosnia: Events, Attention and Knowledge”: 

“American Public Opinion & Civil War in Bosnia: Events, Attention and Knowledge” Data for this presentation based on paper by S.E. Bennett,R.S. Flickinger, S.L. Rhine Paper presented at 1996 ISPP Conference Public Opinion data 1992-1996 from TIMES-MIRROR Center for People &Press

Research Focus: 

Research Focus X= time (1992-96) Y= changes in US publics’ attitudes towards: Y1 = US involvement in Bosnia Y2= US ‘s engagement in Post-Cold War world Y3= foreign policy problems

Introduction: 

Introduction Will US public turn away from outside world in post-Cold War era? Role of public opinion in new era? policy by public opinion polls vs little impact-for policy

Survey of Literature:: 

Survey of Literature: Scholars disagree regarding both concerns (Holsti 1992; Yankleovich and Destler 1994) Several studies suggest role of p.o. more important than formerly dominant “realist” interpretations such as Lippman (1955) and Cohen (1973) suggests (Bennett and Paletz 1994; Deese, 1994)

Conceptualization (putting knowns with unknowns): 

Conceptualization (putting knowns with unknowns) recent data -public ambivalence about foreign policy in post-Cold War era -2/3rds of public favored an active world role for US -1994, 1990,1986 (Reilly,1995) News - US relations with other - constant BUT declines in perceptions of foreign policy problems importance

% Agree foreign policy & defense most important problems facing US: 

% Agree foreign policy & defense most important problems facing US 1980 32.1% 1984 33.2% 1988 9.7% 1992 3.1% NES Poll data

Different interpretations- Use Bosnia case to assess significance: 

Different interpretations- Use Bosnia case to assess significance Lots of media coverage-BOSNIA Did public learn? How attentive were Americans over time? relative impact back-ground factors, events on ground, policies acts US,others?

Assess relative importance 3 factors:: 

Assess relative importance 3 factors: 1) events “on the ground” in other countries 2) leadership by national policy elites (President) 3) media coverage of #1 & #2 Control for “Individual differences” i.e. mental models, prior knowledge location in social structure

Model - How people process & retain political information: 

Model - How people process & retain political information Prior cognitions (Converse,1975) Location in social system Interest in politics “Say, who is this chick Bosnia? SCHEMA (Shank & Abelson1977) Education,work,where live “many Americans ‘tune out’ political information

Trends in Americans’ attention to news stories-Bosnia 1992-6: 

Trends in Americans’ attention to news stories-Bosnia 1992-6 see Table 1 How many paying close attention? (very) When peaked? Why? (deployment vs word shift) What events associated -”ebb & flow”??? Describe overall pattern Why?

Trends in Americans’ attention to BOSNIA new stories : 

Trends in Americans’ attention to BOSNIA new stories Past research finds public pays more attention to STORIES: war -US troops or stories evoke pride & patriotism accidents natural disasters

Trends among “attentive public”- Table 2: 

Trends among “attentive public”- Table 2 The “ATTENTIVE Public” foreign policy = better educated better-off ($50,000+) middle-aged men Does this trend hold for BOSNIA?

Why college experience - a strong correlate???: 

Why college experience - a strong correlate??? “knowledge-gap” thesis - Some people learn more quickly about a new issue because well-educated better prepared at outset cognitive skills, acquisition previous information, social location....> understand significance of “new issues”

Inferred hypothesis:: 

Inferred hypothesis: H1: As crisis continues, the “attentiveness gap” between college schooled and others will narrow ...especially if US military forces involved

BUT associations are weak: 

BUT associations are weak What OTHER Factors are at work?

Media coverage: 

Media coverage thesis - media coverage influences interest in issues i.e., Bosnia see Figure 1 Is there a pattern? What happened Summer,Fall 1995???

Coverage & Interest coincide with greater war activity & plans to send US. troops: 

Coverage & Interest coincide with greater war activity & plans to send US. troops June 1995 Clinton speeches “send troops” Capt. O’Grady shot down Serb overran “safe areas”, NATO bombings Nov 1995 Dayton Accord Jan. 1996 82% public very/fairly interested in Bosnia (see Figure 2)

BUT How informed were Americans about Bosnia?: 

BUT How informed were Americans about Bosnia? see TABLE 3 Initially, how informed? Over time? Had things changed by Summer, 1995? why? more attention...>more knowledge of conflict

Who knows? Knowledge about Bosnia (Table 4): 

Who knows? Knowledge about Bosnia (Table 4) SIGNIFICANT trends related to??: Education level Demographics (gender) SES (social-economic status)

What is strongest relationship?: 

What is strongest relationship? Which demographic variable is most highly correlated with knowledge? see Table 4

A multi-variate statistical model of individual effects - Table 5: 

A multi-variate statistical model of individual effects - Table 5 Y = Knowledge Index 1.which ethic group conquered most?; 2. why fighting? 3. what does ethnic cleansing mean? 4.heard about NATO’s threat to use military force against Serbs?

A OLS Regression Model of individual effects (Table 5): 

A OLS Regression Model of individual effects (Table 5) Independent Variables (Xs): X1 = AGE X2 = GENDER X3 = RACE X4 = EDUCATION X5 = Family Income X6=Attention to domestic media stories X7=Follow Bosnia X8-X11 = Follow other foreign policy issues

How good a “fit”?: 

How good a “fit”? Cognitive ability (education), location in social structure,attention to media generally, & Bosnia crisis shape Americans’ knowledge) TOTAL VARIANCE EXPLAINED by model? What ‘s missing from model?

Overall Findings:: 

Overall Findings: Events, media coverage, public attention to coverage & knowledge of conflict all related Xs Attentiveness gap narrowed over time AND greater US military involvement Knowledge levels increased over time, greatest for most educated (attentive public)

Future research???: 

Future research??? Will Bosnia cease to be important to the American public after US troops leave? Policy implications? Is public opinion a resource or constraint on formulation of American foreign policy? Related research questions?