How does a focusing event shape public opinion? Natural experimental evidence from the Orlando mass shooting.
Policy process theories posit that focusing events can trigger significant shifts in public attention and policy preferences, thereby reshaping public agenda setting. Prior studies, however, have not clearly defined the scope of public opinion changes induced by these focusing events, leading to inc...
| Publicado en: | Policy Studies Journal Vol. 53; no. 2; pp. 463 - 480 |
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| Autores principales: | , |
| Formato: | Artículo |
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Wiley-Blackwell
May2025
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| Materias: | |
| Acceso en línea: | Ver este registro en EBSCOhost |
| fields | @attributes: recordID: 1 pdfLink: plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ssf&AN=185725839&site=ehost-live header: @attributes: shortDbName: ssf uiTerm: 185725839 longDbName: Social Sciences Full Text (H.W. Wilson) uiTag: AN controlInfo: bkinfo: jinfo: jid: 0190292X PSJ jtl: Policy Studies Journal issn: 0190292X maglogo: Y pubinfo: dt: May2025 vid: 53 iid: 2 pid: 480 pub: Wiley-Blackwell artinfo: ui: 185725839 10.1111/psj.12543 ppf: 463 ppct: 17 formats: fmt: – @attributes: type: T – @attributes: type: C – @attributes: type: P size: 1.1MB tig: atl: How does a focusing event shape public opinion? Natural experimental evidence from the Orlando mass shooting. aug: au: Zhang, Youlang Liu, Xinsheng affil: School of Public Administration and Policy & Capital Development and Governance Institute, Renmin University of China, Beijing, China Institute for Science, Technology, and Public Policy, Bush School of Government and Public Service, Texas A&M University, College Station Texas,, USA su: Public opinion polls Individuals' preferences Mass shootings Terrorism Government policy sug: subj: Public opinion polls Individuals' preferences Mass shootings Terrorism Government policy Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling keyword: focusing event gun control Orland nightclub mass shooting public agenda setting public opinion establecimiento de agenda pública evento de focusing opinión pública 公共议程设置 焦点事件 舆论 focusing event gun control Orland nightclub mass shooting public agenda setting public opinion establecimiento de agenda pública evento de focusing opinión pública 公共议程设置 焦点事件 舆论 ab: Policy process theories posit that focusing events can trigger significant shifts in public attention and policy preferences, thereby reshaping public agenda setting. Prior studies, however, have not clearly defined the scope of public opinion changes induced by these focusing events, leading to inconsistent empirical findings. This study aims to reconceptualize the multiple layers of public opinion and formulate testable hypotheses to investigate the causal effects of a major focusing event—the 2016 Orlando nightclub mass shooting—on public opinion. Using original and unique survey data collected immediately pre‐ and post‐Orlando shooting, we find that this event significantly heightened public attention to terror‐related issues, particularly armed terror attacks on civilians. This increased attention translated into heightened support for augmented government counterterrorism spending. However, the event did not significantly alter public attention or support for government spending on other terror‐related acts less relevant to the Orlando shooting. Moreover, the event did not change individuals' policy preferences regarding specific policy proposals to address mass shootings. Our study enriches public policy and public opinion research and provides fresh insights into the relationship between focusing events and public agenda setting. pubtype: Academic Journal doctype: Article src: R language: English refInfo: copyright: @attributes: flag: N holdings: @attributes: islocal: N |
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