{{distinguish|Publix}} '''Publics''' are small groups of people who follow one or more particular issue very closely. They are well informed about the issue(s) and also have a very strong opinion on it/them. They tend to know more about politics than the average person, and, therefore, exert more influence, because these people care so deeply about their cause(s) that they donate a lot of time and money. Therefore, politicians are unlikely be reelected by not pleasing the publics while in office.<ref name="Squire-2008">{{citation |author1=Peverill Squire |author2=James M. Lindsay |author3=Cary R. Covington |year=2008 |orig-date=1st pub. 1995: Brown & Benchmark |title=Dynamics of Democracy |edition=5th Alternative |publisher=Thomson Custom Solutions |location=Mason, Ohio |isbn=978-0-7593-9534-3 |oclc=1285579891}}<!-- Note: the '5th Alternative edition' is oclc=243609352, pub. 2008: Atomic Dog, so either pub. or ed. in this citation are off-->{{page needed|date=January 2025}}{{vn|date=January 2025}}</ref>
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==Issue publics== {{expand section|find=issue publics|small=no|date=January 2025}} '''Issue publics''' are groups of people who pay attention to one particular issue. One can be part of more than one issue public.<ref name="Squire-2008"/> So called "[https://www.sciencedirect.com/special-issue/109CHRJC3NM passionate publics]" can also shape markets and the perceptions of different products, as seen in the discursive shaping of market categories by reviewers of whiskey products.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Hartman |first=Anna E. |last2=Fisser |first2=Carys |last3=Venkatraman |first3=Rohan |last4=Coslor |first4=Erica |date=2025-06-01 |title=The category work of custodians: Passionate publics and online reviews |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0363811125000086 |journal=Public Relations Review |volume=51 |issue=2 |article-number=102546 |doi=10.1016/j.pubrev.2025.102546 |issn=0363-8111|doi-access=free }}</ref>
The term was introduced by Philip Converse in ''The Nature of Belief Systems in Mass Publics'' (1964). He defined it in contrast to ''mass public''.<ref name="Han-2009">{{cite book |last=Han |first=Hahrie |date=2009 |title=Moved to Action: Motivation, Participation, and Inequality in American Politics |chapter=What are Issue Publics? |edition=illustrated |publisher=Stanford University Press |isbn=0-8047-6224-4 <!--isbn2=9780804762243--> |oclc=316327162 |page=50 <!--total-pages=191--> |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LoBfLXX6gU4C&pg=PA50}}</ref>
==Attentive publics== {{expand section|find=attentive publics|small=no|date=January 2025}} '''Attentive publics''' are groups of people who pay attention to several particular issues.<ref name="Squire-2008"/>
==See also== * Audiences / audience studies * Environmental politics
==References== {{reflist}}
Category:Politics
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