The Averaged American: Surveys, Citizens, and the Making of a Mass Public

supports the death penalty, that half of all marriages end in divorce, and that four out of five prefer a particular brand of toothpaste. But remarkably, such data--now woven into our social fabric--became common currency only in the last century. With a bold and sophisticated analysis, Sarah Igo demonstrates the power of scientific surveys to shape Americans' sense of themselves as individuals, members of communities, and citizens of a nation.

Author(s): Sarah E. Igo
Publisher: Harvard University Press
Published: 2009-06-30
Pages: 409
Categories: History