Public Opinion and the Communication of Consent offers an unprecedented range of scholarly perspectives on the relationship between public opinion and communication. With contributions written from social-scientific, historical, critical and cultural traditions, the book illuminates the importance and richness of treating "public opinion" as a multifaceted concept.Written by leading thinkers in the field, some of the work's chapters offer state-of-the-art reviews of research findings, while others are scholarly treatises on some aspect of communication, public opinion, and society. Topics covered include: The nature and institutions of public opinion; the influence of media on public opinion; social and psychological contexts of public opinion; the role public opinion assessment plays in a democratic society.