research interest pique

Part of what I'm focusing on right now, as I look to August when I'll begin the Ph.D. coursework, is developing some areas of research interest that I can begin working on immediately into my classes.

Last night, I was driving home and listening to NPR, which is a generous font of ideas and information ... and began to think about the role of public opinion on American politics. And really, that's an ideal melding of my knowledge of the media, information studies, and politics.

Some questions to answer later:
* How did public opinion polling become such a big business and so prevalently used in American politics?
* Do other countries poll as much as we do?
* Do opinion polls really mean anything?
* If so, what?
* How does public opinion drive policy?
* And, the reverse, how does policy drive public opinion?

And so forth.