BUILDING THE MODERN STATE: PUBLIC OPINION AND GOVERNABILITY

BUILDING THE MODERN STATE: PUBLIC OPINION AND GOVERNABILITY

The reading material for questions is attached. Answer the following questions in one or two paragraphs:

1. How does Speier define public opinion?

2. Until the French Revolution writers feared that the public at large were unreliable due to superstition, prejudice, and excess passion. Who did earlier writers believe was likely to hold reasonable opinions?

3. What does Speier mean when he says that Public opinion is a phenomenon of middle-class civilization?

4. What new ways to circulate information helped the new middle class learn about current affairs?