Arguing with Public Opinion: Polls and Postwar Democracy

Bronson, Adam

Abstract

How did the public opinion poll become a symbol of democracy and shape postwar political culture? This chapter addresses this question through the dynamic relationship among the Allied Occupation, the Japanese government and polling experts during the Occupation years. This period was characterized by disagreement over survey methods, the distinction between opinion research and propaganda, and the involvement of the state in polling. I argue such disagreement was not merely an ephemeral effect of the adoption of a new political technology, but indicative of how polling continued to stir up and channel public debate throughout the postwar era.

Citation

Bronson, A. (2023). Arguing with Public Opinion: Polls and Postwar Democracy. In S. Avenell (Ed.), Reconsidering Postwar Japanese History: A Handbook (47-64). Japan Documents / Amsterdam University Press

• Acceptance Date: Feb 28, 2023
• Online Publication Date: Mar 31, 2023
• Publication Date: Jul 15, 2023
• Deposit Date: Feb 28, 2023
• Pages: 47-64
• Series Title: Handbooks on Japanese Studies
• Book Title: Reconsidering Postwar Japanese History: A Handbook
• Chapter Number: 3
• ISBN: 9784909286208
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1648219
• Publisher URL: https://www.aup.nl/nl/book/9789048559374/reconsidering-postwar-japanese-history