The polarization process in the formation and expression of public opinion needs further exploration, especially in three areas: (1) the reluctance to publicly voice one's own moderate or qualified opinion if that act would benefit a group at one of the ends of an opinion continuum; (2) the imputation of a clustered set of opinions on a number of issues to those who hold opinions on one specific issue; (3) the formation of one's opinion on an issue, based on the group identity of those who are at the extreme of that issue. In (1), opinion formation around an issue occurs not just on the individually assessed merits of the issue but also on who are identified as supporters of one side or the other. Thus, those who see ambiguities are reluctant to express reservations about an extreme position for fear of giving aid and comfort to those at the other extreme. The perception of the public's opinion becomes distorted and the issue will become further polarized. In (2), issue clustering, or 'bundling', occurs whenever those who are identified with one opinion are assumed to hold a set of other opinions which, taken together, make them pejoratively different kinds of people from those who so identify them. In (3), individuals form or express opinions about complex subjects based on the position of groups they identify with rather than by an attempt to become familiar with the issue.