Suchergebnisse

Using 13 representative-sample State of the State Surveys (SOSS) conducted from 1995-98 in Michigan, examines how people hold elected officials accountable for expected economic conditions in a system of government in which jurisdiction and responsibility are divided such as they are in the US.

Many studies in cognitive linguistics have highlighted the important role of metaphors in political discourse, and more specifically their ability to frame complex concepts (Lakoff 1996). The key question is however under which conditions different framings lead to different representations of such complex political issues. Using an experimental design, this paper tackles the question of the framing impact of metaphors by focusing on the opportunity to implement a basic income (BI) system in a given polity. We take advantage of the preliminary stage of the BI debate in Belgium to study the influence of discursive strategies on the opinion formation process of individuals. As De Wispelaere and Noguera (2012) highlighted, the framing of the BI proposal may significantly increase its psychological feasibility. Carefully choosing the arguments employed to address this question can help avoid triggering negative perceptions and ensure positive attitudes toward this policy. While most studies on the BI so far have been either normative or descriptive, our experiment aims at determining to what extent the confrontation of individuals to metaphors illustrating the BI system impact the way they apprehend its implementation in Belgium. We show that very light variations in an informative text can induce major differences in the opinion formation process of the participants. This suggests that, when a debate is controversial and ambiguous, citizens' opinions are sensitive to framing effects. BI proponents or opponents should thus pay particular attention to which arguments and metaphors are put forward in the public debate, as this could modify its outcome.

Many studies in cognitive linguistics have highlighted the important role of metaphors in political discourse, and more specifically their ability to frame complex concepts (Lakoff 1996). The key question is however under which conditions different framings lead to different representations of such complex political issues. Using an experimental design, this paper tackles the question of the framing impact of metaphors by focusing on the opportunity to implement a basic income (BI) system in a given polity. We take advantage of the preliminary stage of the BI debate in Belgium to study the influence of discursive strategies on the opinion formation process of individuals. As De Wispelaere and Noguera (2012) highlighted, the framing of the BI proposal may significantly increase its psychological feasibility. Carefully choosing the arguments employed to address this question can help avoid triggering negative perceptions and ensure positive attitudes toward this policy. While most studies on the BI so far have been either normative or descriptive, our experiment aims at determining to what extent the confrontation of individuals to metaphors illustrating the BI system impact the way they apprehend its implementation in Belgium. We show that very light variations in an informative text can induce major differences in the opinion formation process of the participants. This suggests that, when a debate is controversial and ambiguous, citizens' opinions are sensitive to framing effects. BI proponents or opponents should thus pay particular attention to which arguments and metaphors are put forward in the public debate, as this could modify its outcome.

This article seeks to answer the following questions: How does the media, through its framing the media, through their framing, attribute responsibility for the origin of a problem and to whom do they point to as those responsible for solving it? the media as those responsible for solving it? Does the way in which the media frame an issue have an impact on the does the way the media frame an issue affect the attribution of responsibility made by the public opinion? public opinion? The context is the debate raised by the high rates of traffic accidents caused by drunk drivers. The context is the debate over the high rates of traffic accidents caused by drunk drivers. An important finding was the media's privileging of the the use of episodic framing over thematic framing by the media, by a wide margin ; Este artículo busca responder las preguntas : ¿Cómo los medios, a través de los encuadres, atribuyen la responsabilidad del origen de un problema y a quiénes señalan como los responsables de solucionarlo? ¿Incide la forma como los medios encuadran un asunto en la atribución de responsabilidad que hace la opinión pública?. El contexto es el debate suscitado por los altos índices de accidentes de tráfico generados por conductores ebrios. Un importante hallazgo fue el privilegio otorgado por los medios al uso de encuadres episódicos sobre los temáticos, por un amplio margen

This volume contains an Open Access chapter. We have witnessed an avalanche of quantitative public measures over the past decades. Research in the social sciences has shown that rankings in particular are now a driving force of social change - both, desired and undesired - in many areas of modern life. This volume explores the distinct allure of rankings in diverse empirical settings such as healthcare, the IT sector, the arts, professional sports, anti-slavery advocacy, the pharma industry, and educational governance. Drawing from a rich variety of social theories and methodologies, the contributions to this volume advance our understanding of the production, institutionalization, and effects of rankings significantly, sparking new debates and suggesting promising pathways forward.

Examines anti-US sentiment in the Republic of Korea (ROK) & advocates reconciliation of this trend to prevent continuing harm to international relations. Conflicting US foreign policy, namely the inclusion of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) in George W. Bush's label, "axis of evil," with recent diplomatic efforts under the sunshine policy between the ROK & DPRK, have produced negative sentiment among the general public & policymakers. Historical & intellectual contributors to anti-American feelings as well as the impact of the media & changing demographic structure are identified. Support for maintenance of positive US-ROK international relations is presented, & suggestions to alleviate policy-oriented & emotional anti-Americanism are outlined. L. Collins

Critical of the George W. Bush administration's educational policies; focus on the Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) academic standards, and vouchers for private schools; US.

The United States is considered a global leader in terms of land based wind power, yet its offshore wind potential remains greatly untapped (Gilman et al., 2016). Cape Wind, a proposed offshore wind farm for the Nantucket Sound of Massachusetts, was meant to be the first of its kind in the nation. Since 2001 the project has undergone much debate over its anticipated benefits and risks to the communities surrounding it. Public opinion trends evidence a shift from majority opposition to support for Cape Wind by 2009, but the factors that contributed to this change are unknown. Researchers suggest that media outlets may have played an important role in educating the public on its impacts. In this research project I performed a media analysis of 198 newspaper articles from the Boston Globe, Boston Herald, and Cape Cod Times to assess their framing of Cape Wind from 2003 to 2009. These newspaper outlets were chosen because they represent liberal, conservative, and local perspectives, and may have differed in their reporting of Cape Wind. A codebook of risk and benefit frames was adopted to categorize information presented in the studied articles. Then, correlations were identified between the newspapers' framing from year to year with trends in local public opinion. Differences in reporting across the newspaper outlets were also assessed. The use of aesthetic & cultural, health & safety, and political frames paralleled with changes in citizens' overall perceptions of Cape Wind. Also, the Boston Globe was found to have a statistically significant greater number of articles with benefit frames compared to the Boston Herald and Cape Cod Times. The results indicate that the newspaper outlets contrasted slightly in their reporting of benefits and risk to Cape Wind, and their collective framing trends did not correlate entirely with the findings of local public opinion studies.

For the past 30 years, the PKK has launched a campaign of terror in Turkey. Despite the rise and fall of attacks throughout the years, the PKK's terrorist activities have never completely ended. Through the recent initiative of the Turkish government, negotiations focusing on pacification have been launched with the leader of the PKK, Abdullah Öcalan, who is still in prison on Imrali Island. We have yet to see the outcome of this process. Terrorism is not simply about killing people; it is about destroying the population's sense of well-being and trust in the government. In addition to the casualties and physical pain caused directly by an attack, the normal reaction to an unfamiliar and life-threatening event – fear, stress, worry, grief and confusion –also inflict suffering and social pain. In a world where information and communication play a key part, terrorists try to achieve the maximum possible media impact by the violent acts they commit. So when we define terrorism, we have to keep in mind that a three-way relationship exists between the main protagonists: terrorists want something from the government and work to achieve it through the agency of public opinion by seeking to terrorize the public at large in the most spectacular way possible. Public opinion in turn is influenced by the media which sometimes produces exaggerated accounts of terrorist events. This paper will seek to examine how this three way relationship has developed during the negotiation process with the PKK in Turkey. It will investigate how the ruling government (AKP) initiated the process, how public opinion has been formed in such an environment and whether it has influenced the government's policies and decisions in regard to this issue. It will also explore how the media has reacted during this process. It is the author's hope that the findings will be useful for policy-makers, media scholars, and academicians, as well as lay readers interested in the topic. DOI:10.5901/mjss.2013.v4n10p278

Abstract Transparency is one of the key principles on which lies every democratic society and each democratic state. Having in mind the fact that public administration is one of the caryatids of the society, the importance of examining and analyzing the transparency as a human right in the Macedonian case is very important. The main goal of this paper is to describe and analyze why transparency of the Macedonian public administration should be considered as a human right. The main methods which will be used in this research are descriptive method, comparative method and content analysis method. The conclusions which will be drawn from the paper will be directed to detection of the level of transparency in the Macedonian public administration and sublimation of the available theoretical and empirical data, but also to giving some critical views, opinions and suggestions for an increase of the transparency in the Macedonian public administration, i.e. the modalities and practices which should be implemented in the realization of this goal. Keywords: transparency, Macedonian, administration, human, right

ObjectiveThis article examines how people's lived experience of local weather might influence climate policy preferences in the presence of strong partisan bias.MethodsUsing a comprehensive dataset combining four‐wave panel survey responses from U.S. residents over three years with geocoded data on their local weather experience, we evaluate the impacts of local weather variations on beliefs about climate change, risk perceptions of climate change, and climate policy preferences. The panel structure of our data allows us to causally identify how one's actual experience of weather modifies climate change opinions over time.ResultsWe find that both long‐ and short‐term unusual local weather experiences change individuals' climate change opinions and preferences on climate change policy.ConclusionOne's lived experience alters beliefs in climate change, risk perceptions of climate change, and preferences for government climate policy even in the context of strong partisan bias.

Beliefs in conspiracy theories have attracted significant international media attention in recent years. This phenomenon has been studied in the US but while anecdotal evidence suggests it is also widespread among the Italian public, little evidence has been collected to assess it empirically. Using data from a 2016 survey, this pioneering study of the Italian case investigates the extent of diffusion of conspiracy theories among Italians and tests several hypotheses concerning individual determinants. The paper finds that conspiracism is indeed widely diffused in Italy. It is negatively associated with education and positively with religiosity, while no correlation is found with political trust. Beliefs in conspiracies are also related to rightwing orientation and support for the populist Five Star Movement.

An essential text for PA courses on Human Resource Management as well as Public Management and Law, this book illuminates the role of the reasonable public servant, who strives to perform authorized functions efficiently, yet in a manner that aligns with constitutional values embodied in the Bill of Rights. ""A Reasonable Public Servant"" provides a comprehensive review of Supreme Court opinions in explaining the reasonable conduct of a public servant and the development of clearly established constitutional and statutory rights that a reasonable public servant is expected to observe: property