Ambivalence, Politics And Public Policy

Exploring the extent and nature of attitudinal ambivalence on public policy issues, these essays by distinguished scholars of public opinion examine citizens' conflicting attitudes about abortion, gay rights, environmental protection and property rights, crime and the police, and church-state relations. Linking ambivalence with a complex structure of belief, the contributors link the effects of ambivalence on information processing, the formation of policy preferences, and the impact of those policy preferences on voters' decisions. Using multiple approaches to measurement and research design, this volume helps build a sturdy foundation of knowledge about the phenomenon of ambivalence and its effects on politics. The concluding chapter provides an overview of our progress in understanding the effects of ambivalence on public opinion.

Stephen C. Craig is Professor of Political Science and Director of the Graduate Program in Political Campaigning, University of Florida.

Michael D. Martinez is Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Florida.

Introduction--Michael D. Martinez, Stephen C. Craig * Group Ambivalence and Electoral Decision-Making--Howard Lavine & Marco Steenbergen * Ambivalence and Attitude Change in Vote Choice: Do Campaign Switchers Experience Internal Conflict?--Patrick Fournier * What Happens When We Simultaneously Want Opposite Things? Ambivalence about Social Welfare--Jason Gainous & Michael D. Martinez * The Nature and Consequences of Ambivalence: Abortion and Gay Rights--Michael D. Martinez, Stephen C. Craig, James G. Kane & Jason Gainous * Education, Ideology, and Racial Ambivalence: Conflict Reduction or Conflict Amplification?--Christopher M. Federico * Managing Voter Ambivalence in Growth and Conservation Campaigns--Dennis Chong & Yael Wolinsky-Nhmias * Ambivalence and Attitudes toward Church-State Relations--Ted G. Jelen * Attitudinal Ambivalence and Political Opinion: Review and Avenues for Further Research--Christopher J. Armitage & Mark Conner