Article
Publication Date
March 2012
Journal/Book Title/Conference
International Journal of Public Opinion Research
Volume
24
Issue
1
Abstract
This study employs an experimental approach to isolate and directly test the extent to which presidents can affect public perceptions of issue importance and support for policy action, taking into consideration key factors that condition such effects. Our findings provide new empirical evidence that presidents can, in fact, positively influence public opinion through agenda setting, particularly by increasing the perceptual importance of low salience foreign policy issues. However, the results also indicate that such positive effects do not translate into public support for policy action; instead, presidential appeals actually decrease support. Last, our study offers new evidence that employing bipartisan cues can help presidents further increase public perceptions of issue importance, though such cues are unlikely to spur increased support.
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Publisher Statement
Copyright © 2013 Oxford University Press and World Association for Public Opinion Research. Link: http://ijpor.oxfordjournals.org/content/24/1/21.abstract