Only half of voters can map issues onto liberal and conservative poles

Evidence

On the basis of some familiarity with attitudinal surveys drawn from cross-section samples of the electorate, this assumption seems thoroughly implausible. It suggests in the first instance a neatness of organization in perceived political worlds, which, while accurate enough for elites, is a poor fit for the perceptions of the common public. Second, the yardstick that such an account takes for granted—the liberal-conservative continuum—is a rather elegant high-order abstraction, and such abstractions are not typical conceptual tools for the “man in the street.” — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 1884 (#corroborates, via linked claim)

In our first reading in this section, Converse cleverly weighs in on the “end of ideology” debate by arguing for the necessity of distinguishing between the belief systems of political elites and ordinary citizens. On the basis of survey data, Converse concludes that only a small percentage of voters (approximately 15%) should be classified as “ideologues” or “near-ideologues” and that more than a third of the population cannot accurately define even such basic political terms as liberal and conservative. This does not mean, however, that the left-right distinction is meaningless or inconsequential. Elite politicians—whose belief systems are far more constrained by social and psychological forces than are the belief systems of mass publics—do use conventional ideological dimensions to organize their political attitudes. — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 1815 (#corroborates, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Voters can define ideology on wholly different dimensions, not opposite poles; Only a small fraction of voters hold coherent ideological belief systems — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 1815; Voter policy positions are barely more stable than pure chance — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 1934 (+2 more)

Broader Connections

• The liberal-conservative continuum is an elite abstraction most voters do not use #corroborates (0.95) — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 1884
• Only a small fraction of voters hold coherent ideological belief systems #corroborates (0.92) — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 1815