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The Early Public Opinion Apparatus of the Herbert Hoover White House

Northwestern University

This article adds to the recent literature on the development and institutionalization of the public opinion apparatus in the White House by exploring the internal process for gauging public opinion during the administration of Herbert Hoover. Although descriptions of the public opinion polling apparatus, which developed in the White House under President Franklin D. Roosevelt, are rich, there are few analytical descriptions of the early public opinion apparatus. This article explains the process of gauging public opinion during the Hoover Administration through the systematic collection, synthesis, and analysis of White House opinion data from newspaper editorials. In addition, this article describes the use of these data during three major events in the Hoover White House: the stock market crash in 1929, the outcome of the 1930 congressional elections, and the Soldiers' Bonus Bill in 1931. In each case, institutional procedures primarily allowed President Hoover to follow, rather than manipulate, public opinion.

Key Words: Herbert Hoover • public opinion • presidency • apparatus • leadership

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