Public opinion and democratic accountability: how citizens learn about politics

List of Figures vii List of Tables ix Preface xiii One Issue Importance, Political Context, and Democratic Responsiveness 1 Two Local Press Coverage of Congressional Roll Call Votes 18 Three Context, Motivation, and Selective Attentiveness to the Clarence Thomas Confirmation Vote 35 Four Perceptions of Issue Importance and Campaign Attentiveness 54 Five Priming Issues during Senate Campaigns 75 Six Issue Importance, Campaign Context, and Perceptions of Candidate Distinctiveness in Gubernatorial Elections 95 Seven Issue Importance, Campaign Context, and Political Participation 117 Eight The Role of Public Opinioninthe Democratic Process 131 Notes 143 References 155 Index 165