Coming to Public Judgment: Making Democracy Work in a Complex World (Frank W. Abrams Lectures) [Paperback]

Daniel Yankelovich (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Drawing on his experience as a public-opinion researcher, Yankelovich's ( Starting with the People ) highly readable work offers his notions on how ``creeping expertism'' is causing Americans to lose their ability to govern themselves. He also presents some optimistic views on what to do about it. When political leaders have problems, they consult experts (economic, military, scientific and so on), who assume that if the public knew as much as they do, all would acknowledge that they're right. Not so, says Yankelovich: the public has its own perspectives and priorities (though how these are formed remains unclear). Moreover, it is possible to improve the quality of what he calls ``public judgment'' (mass opinion that is thoughtful and accepting of the consequences of its conclusions, as opposed to the off-the-cuff opinion that polls often measure), not simply through better information but through a better process of forming judgment. Yankelovich offers a three-step model for achieving this: consciousness-raising (learning about the problem); working through (confronting the need for change); and resolution (forming coherent and responsible solutions).

Copyright 1991 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Paperback: 290 pages
• Publisher: Syracuse University Press; 1st edition (May 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0815602545
• ISBN-13: 978-0815602545
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #439,127 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent resource, September 27, 2005

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C. H. Zuber (Fort Wayne, IN USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Coming to Public Judgment: Making Democracy Work in a Complex World (Frank W. Abrams Lectures) (Paperback)

Coming to Public Judgment is the best explanation I have found of how the public engages an issue and comes to a conclusion. I have seen this process work well in my own city, and I wish every journalist covering government, school and social services beats would be required to read this book and organize his or her coverage this way.