Correlative Characteristics of Levels of Conceptualization in The American Public: 1956–1976

Since The American Voter introduced the “levels of conceptualization” measure, its theoretical potential has been recognized and it has been used widely as an indicator of public evaluations of politics. However, replication and extension of the measure have been limited. If it is to have utility in the study of change in mass political thinking, its validity and cross-time reliability must be established. This paper establishes validity by reference to selected criteria expected to be related to different levels. Attempts to separate statistically the levels were most successful in distinguishing the polar categories. Attempts to establish cross-time stability of the measure also met with success.