Harriet Martineau’s observation, made in 1837, that “the worship of Opinion is, at this day, the established religion of the United States,” could easily have been asserted today. Politicians consult public opinion polls when running for office, when building their political agendas, and often before deciding to act. President Clinton, for example, even ran a White House poll to test the public’s reaction to possible responses he might give—including confessing—to the original allegations of his entanglement with Monica Lewinsky. Overnight polls conducted by various news agencies similarly have a profound effect on how policy makers react to various issues like cutting social security, raising the minimum wage, or whether they should take steps to impeach a president. In a democracy, public opinion speaks very loudly, and politicians who ignore it, do so at their peril. Given the importance of public opinion in swaying how policy makers arrive at decisions, and the impact these decisions often have on the everyday lives of citizens, understanding how people come to form their opinions on the issues of the day remains vitally important.