Abstract
In a democracy, public opinion shapes policies or at least influences them. American public opinion is shaped by the conditions in which Americans live. Americans have always been sympathetic toward revolutions in countries where democracy, as they understand it, is not present. This often precludes a clear understanding of events by the public and the leaders of American government. Was this true in 1956 when the Hungarian people revolted against the established regime in Hungary? If Americans understood the events in Hungary in the fall of 1956, were the policies of the American government consistent with the opinion of the American people toward Hungary? These are a few of the questions with which this paper will be concerned.