<div>This monumental study is a comprehensive critical survey of <br>the policy preferences of the American public, and will be <br>the definitive work on American public opinion for some time <br>to come. Drawing on an enormous body of public opinion data, <br>Benjamin I. Page and Robert Y. Shapiro provide the richest <br>available portrait of the political views of Americans, from <br>the 1930's to 1990. They not only cover all types of <br>domestic and foreign policy issues, but also consider how <br>opinions vary by age, gender, race, region, and the like. <br><br>The authors unequivocally demonstrate that, notwithstanding fluctuations in the opinions of individuals, <br><i>collective</i> public opinion is remarkably coherent: it <br>reflects a stable system of values shared by the majority of <br>Americans and it responds sensitively to new events, <br>arguments, and information reported in the mass media. While <br>documenting some alarming case of manipulation, Page and <br>Shapiro solidly establish the soundness and value of <br>collective political opinion. <i>The Rational Public</i> <br>provides a wealth of information about what we as a nation <br>have wanted from government, how we have changed our minds <br>over the years, and why. <br><br>For anyone interested in the short- and long-term trends <br>in Americans' policy preferences, or eager to learn what <br>Americans have thought about issues ranging from racial <br>equality to the MX missile, welfare to abortion, this book <br>offers by far the most sophisticated and detailed treatment <br>available. <br><br></div>