The full distribution supplies the evidence. A single average or a two-category tally can hide whether opinions cluster near the center, spread evenly, or gather at opposing extremes.

Measure policy distance, concentration at the ends, alignment across issues, and change over time. Keep mass opinion, elite positions, partisan sorting, and affective dislike conceptually separate.

Two counties can each divide 50-50 on a spending proposal. In one, nearly everyone chooses "slightly favor" or "slightly oppose." In the other, nearly everyone chooses "strongly favor" or "strongly oppose." The vote shares match, but the second county has more policy polarization because its camps are farther apart and its middle is thin. A graph with all response categories reveals the difference.

Video lesson: Public Opinion: Crash Course Government and Politics #33