The Silent Majority: Neither Simple nor Simple-Minded.
ResearchPublished 1971
A discussion on the thesis that is operationally and philosophically incorrect to look upon voters as members of blocs that move back and forth along a line from left to right. Today's citizens are individuals with widely mixed views. They may be oriented along entirely different axes from the political theorists who find them inconsistent. For example, opinion polls favor Negroes' right to live where they please, yet open housing legislation is consistently defeated, and stably integrated neighborhoods are rare. Detailed reanalysis of poll data shows strong majorities against both forced segregation and "forced integration." Whites' stated willingness to live next door to blacks coexists with an unwillingness to live among many blacks. The number is crucial. Thus, stated opinions expressing willingness to live in racially mixed neighborhoods are actually consistent with voting against requiring open housing and with the fact that mixed neighborhoods tend to become all-black. Deeper analysis is needed before applying poll results to policymaking. 13 pp. Ref. (MW)
Document Details
- Copyright: RAND Corporation
- Availability: Available
- Year: 1971
- Print Format: Paperback
- Paperback Pages: 13
- Paperback Price: $20.00
- Document Number: P-4662
Citation
RAND Style Manual
Chicago Manual of Style
Levine, Robert A., The Silent Majority: Neither Simple nor Simple-Minded. RAND Corporation, P-4662, 1971. As of September 13, 2024: https://www.rand.org/pubs/papers/P4662.html
Levine, Robert A., The Silent Majority: Neither Simple nor Simple-Minded. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 1971. https://www.rand.org/pubs/papers/P4662.html. Also available in print form.
This publication is part of the RAND paper series. The paper series was a product of RAND from 1948 to 2003 that captured speeches, memorials, and derivative research, usually prepared on authors' own time and meant to be the scholarly or scientific contribution of individual authors to their professional fields. Papers were less formal than reports and did not require rigorous peer review.
This document and trademark(s) contained herein are protected by law. This representation of RAND intellectual property is provided for noncommercial use only. Unauthorized posting of this publication online is prohibited; linking directly to this product page is encouraged. Permission is required from RAND to reproduce, or reuse in another form, any of its research documents for commercial purposes. For information on reprint and reuse permissions, please visit www.rand.org/pubs/permissions.
RAND is a nonprofit institution that helps improve policy and decisionmaking through research and analysis. RAND's publications do not necessarily reflect the opinions of its research clients and sponsors.