John Zaller

John Zaller is a political scientist known for his work on how people form opinions about politics. He developed a model called the "Receive–Accept–Sample" (RAS) model, which explains that voters’ beliefs and attitudes are shaped by the information they receive from the media and other sources. According to Zaller, individuals accept or reject information based on their existing beliefs, and when asked about issues, they sample from their mental "store" of accepted ideas. His work highlights how media exposure and personal predispositions influence political opinions and decision-making.