Suchergebnisse

Looks at television news during the month of the official election campaign, and then uses the British Election Campaign Study panel survey to see what influence television had on the electorate in that short span of time. (Abstract amended)

The existence of fairly strong correlations between newspaper readership and socio-political variables is well known. The interesting question about these correlations is not whether they exist but why they exist. In their analysis of British political behaviour in the sixties, Butler and Stokes put forward three possible explanations.

A 1997/98 public opinion survey (N = 6,050 respondents) compared attitudes toward the behavior of officials across the four titular nationalities & eight ethnic minorities in four postcommunist countries -- Ukraine, Bulgaria, Slovakia, & the Czech Republic. Results reveal pervasive suspicions of ethnic bias on the part of officials. Although ethnic minorities were particularly suspicious, there was a consensus across both ethnic majorities & minorities that officials favored their own ethnic group & discriminated against others. However, such suspicion may distort reality. Citizen' own reports of dealing with officials generally revealed much less ethnic discrimination in their personal experience than in their suspicions, presumptions, & perceptions. Either suspicion exaggerated reality or general perceptions of bias focused on the most badly treated, rather than the most numerous, minorities. In addition, ethnic minorities themselves behaved in different ways toward officials. Only Gypsies displayed the characteristics of hopelessness & "exclusion," & some minorities behaved much like the titular nationality. Most compensated for their minority status by engaging more than the titular nationality in a wide range of strategies to influence officials, including the use of contacts, presents, & bribes. Conversely, in areas where an ethnic minority was concentrated locally, members of the titular nationality displayed a measurably defensive reaction & a somewhat heightened degree of vigilance. 10 Tables, 28 References. Adapted from the source document.