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The workplace can directly or indirectly affect opinions about policies, social issues, and political leaders by socializing employees through shared experiences. People who work in education, for example, are often surrounded by others with high levels of education. Their concerns will be specific to the education sector and different from those in other workplaces. Frequent association with colleagues can align a person’s thinking with theirs.

Workplace groups such as professional organizations or unions can also influence opinions. These organizations provide members with specific information about issues important to them and lobby on their behalf in an effort to better work environments, increase pay, or enhance shared governance. They may also pressure members to vote for particular candidates or initiatives they believe will help promote the organization’s goals. For example, teachers’ unions often support the Democratic Party because it has historically supported increased funding to public schools and universities.

Important political opinion leaders, or political elite     s , also shape public opinion, usually by serving as short-term cues that help voters pay closer attention to a political debate and make decisions about it. Through a talk program or opinion column, the elite commentator tells people when and how to react to a current problem or issue. Millennials and members of generation X (currently ages 34–49) long used Jon Stewart of The Daily Show and later Stephen Colbert of The Colbert Report as shortcuts to becoming informed about current events. In the same way, older generations trusted Tom Brokaw and 60 Minutes .

Because an elite source can pick and choose the information and advice to provide, the door is open to covert influence if this source is not credible or honest. Voters must be able to trust the quality of the information. When elites lose credibility, they lose their audience. News agencies are aware of the relationship between citizens and elites, which is why news anchors for major networks are carefully chosen. When Brian Williams of NBC was accused of lying about his experiences in Iraq and New Orleans, he was suspended pending an investigation. Williams later admitted to several misstatements and apologized to the public, and he was removed from The Nightly News .

Stephen Battaglio, “Brian Williams Will Leave ‘NBC Nightly News’ and Join MSNBC,” LA Times , 18 June 2015.

Opinions about politics and policies

What do Americans think about their political system, policies, and institutions? Public opinion has not been consistent over the years. It fluctuates based on the times and events, and on the people holding major office ( [link] ). Sometimes a majority of the public express similar ideas, but many times not. Where, then, does the public agree and disagree? Let’s look at the two-party system, and then at opinions about public policy, economic policy, and social policy.

The first chart shows the views on same sex marriage between 2001 and 2015. The line for those who oppose same sex marriage starts around 57% in 2001, slowly rising to 60% in 2004. It dips sharply until 2005 when it hits 53%. It rises again until it reaches 55% in 2006, then begins falling until 2008 when it hits 50%. It goes back up to 54% in 2009, then descends until it hits 39% in 2015. The line for those who favor same sex marriage starts out around 35% in 2001 and falls until it hits 30% in 2004. It rises until it hits 36% in 2005, then drops slightly in 2006 to 35%. It begins to rise and hits 39% in 2008. It falls again in 2009, hitting 36%. It rises gradually from then on, until reaching 55% in 2015. The second chart shows views on immigration from 1994 to 2014.. The line representing those who think immigrants are a burden on our country starts at 63%.This line falls steadily until it hits 38% in 2000. It begins a slow rise until it hits44% in 2003. It levels out until 2005, when it spikes up to 53% in 2006. It falls sharply down to 40% in 2007, and stays steady until 2009, when another sharp spike puts it back to 50% in 2010. After this spike, the line declines until leveling out at 35% in 2013 and 2014. The line representing those who think immigrants strengthen our country begins at 30%.It slowly rises, reaching a peak at 50% in 2000. It begins a slow decline until leveling out to 45% in 2004 and 2005. It falls to 40% in 2006, before rising again to 45% in 2009. It falls slightly to 44% in 2010, then begins to rise again until reaching 56% in 2014. At the bottom of the chart, a source is cited: “Same-Sex Marriage”: Pew Research Center, “Changing Attitudes on Gay Marriage.” July 29, 2015. “Immigrants”: Pew Research Center. “Increasingly, Immigrants seen as Strengthening America.” March 16, 2014.”.
Public opinion may change significantly over time. Two issues that have undergone dramatic shifts in public opinion during the last twenty years are same-sex marriage and immigration.

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Source:  OpenStax, American government. OpenStax CNX. Dec 05, 2016 Download for free at http://cnx.org/content/col11995/1.15
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