Mass and Elite Attitudes about Wiretapping in Canada: Implications for Democratic Theory and Politics

In: Public opinion quarterly: journal of the American Association for Public Opinion Research, Band 53, Heft 2, S. 225-245

Abstract

Canadian survey data are used to compare the attitudes of the general population & decisionmakers (N = 2,084 & 1,348, respectively) toward civil liberties, with focus on the issue of wiretapping. Findings indicate that this presents an important exception to the familiar theory of democratic elitism. Ironically, the very sophistication & knowledge that lead elites to support individual rights & freedoms also make them more likely than the Canadian population as a whole to support wiretapping. 6 Tables, 2 Appendixes, 19 References. Modified AA