In the current state of knowledge, we know a lot about survey techniques but we do not know how to answer the question: what is public opinion? This book identifies the main questions that arise in relation to this notion: delimitation of the field of study, structure and distribution of opinions, relationship between values, opinion and action, stability of opinions, psychosocial mechanisms at stake... Since the first edition of Jean Stoetzel's book, which introduced public opinion surveys in France, scientific literature has not made much progress in this field.
