Distinguishing between most important problems and issues?
Distinguishing between most important problems and issues?
To measure the importance of political issues, scholars traditionally have relied on a survey question that asks about the “most important problem” (MIP) facing the nation. Increasingly, scholars are relying on a variant that asks about the “most important issue” (MII). While we have learned quite a lot about what MIP captures, especially over time, we know little about MII. Using newly compiled data from the United Kingdom, this article examines differences in the two items and their dynamics. The results of our analyses reveal that MII responses are strikingly similar to MIP responses. While they may be slightly closer to a valid indicator of issue importance, MII responses mostly reflect variation in assessments of problem status. An effective measure of issue importance remains elusive.
545-555
Jennings, Will
2ab3f11c-eb7f-44c6-9ef2-3180c1a954f7
Wlezien, Christopher
e5c172ce-90fc-4bb3-989f-f11e4acb7e53
2011
Jennings, Will
2ab3f11c-eb7f-44c6-9ef2-3180c1a954f7
Wlezien, Christopher
e5c172ce-90fc-4bb3-989f-f11e4acb7e53
Jennings, Will and Wlezien, Christopher
(2011)
Distinguishing between most important problems and issues?
Public Opinion Quarterly, 75 (3), Autumn Issue, .
(doi:10.1093/poq/nfr025).
Abstract
To measure the importance of political issues, scholars traditionally have relied on a survey question that asks about the “most important problem” (MIP) facing the nation. Increasingly, scholars are relying on a variant that asks about the “most important issue” (MII). While we have learned quite a lot about what MIP captures, especially over time, we know little about MII. Using newly compiled data from the United Kingdom, this article examines differences in the two items and their dynamics. The results of our analyses reveal that MII responses are strikingly similar to MIP responses. While they may be slightly closer to a valid indicator of issue importance, MII responses mostly reflect variation in assessments of problem status. An effective measure of issue importance remains elusive.
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Published date: 2011
Organisations:
Politics & International Relations
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Local EPrints ID: 336588
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/336588
ISSN: 0033-362X
PURE UUID: 716b12ae-6187-443d-83f8-7e6af5dd4819
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Date deposited: 30 Mar 2012 10:07
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 03:42
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Author:
Christopher Wlezien
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