Public opinion is the collective opinion of the people of a society or state on an issue or problem. It can also be defined as the sum total of all the views held by the public on a particular issue at a particular time.
public opinion is an expression of the general population’s thoughts on a particular issue. It represents a common or popular opinion on a particular issue, such as public health or the economy.
Agencies of Public Opinion
The following are the major agencies of Public Opinion:
1. Press: Newspapers, periodicals and magazines acts as an important major agency of public opinion. The press discusses and analyses every important issue of public concern and the editorials, write-ups and news-analysis always play a big role in the formulation and expression of public opinion.
2. Legislature: Legislature is formed by the elected representatives of the people. The debates of the legislature, and the views expressed by the legislators both inside and out-side the legislature, play an important role in the making and mirroring of public opinion.
3. Public Meetings and Rebates: In every democratic state people have the right and freedom on to form associations, to hold meetings, processions and demonstrations and to discuss all issues of public importance and concern. Public meetings as such are agencies for the formulation of Public Opinion.
4. Political Parties: Political parties are the agents of political education. These provide all information to the people regarding the activities, successes, failures, omissions and errors of the government. It organises meetings, agitations, demonstrations, processions and movements for highlighting the issues of public importance. All these activities play a role in the formulation of public opinion.
5. Radio, T.V. and Internet: In this age of information revolution Radio, T.V. and Internet contribute significantly to the formulation of public opinion. Radio and T.V. talks and debates act as motivating factors for the formulation of public opinion.
6. Educational Institutions: In the educational institutions, classroom- lectures, speeches, meetings and seminars of different kinds are arranged. The eminent leaders, scholars, and writers participate in these meetings and assemblies and through the mutual exchange of views influence the views of the students and teacher. These also helps in the formulation of public
7. Elections: Political parties prepare their election manifestoes through public meetings, gatherings and processions, pamphlets, advertisements dramas and plays. During an election, the political parties do an intensive campaign, and even the most neutral person in politics does not remain unaffected or uninfluenced.
Measurement of Public Opinion
1. Public Opinion Polls: Opinion polls involve the use of a certain representative number of people and asking them questions on a particular issue. Their responses are then analyzed to arrive at what percentage of people are saying what on a particular issue.
2. Elections: Elections are also ways for the public to express its feelings about politics. This is done by electing new leaders to the ones that did not meet up the expectations of the people.
3. Pressure Groups: Through their effort to protect and promote the interests of their members, pressure groups employ different means to pass their message. They are therefore valid measures of public opinion.
4. The Media: Media, such as television, newspapers, and magazines are important because of the news they choose and how they portray the issues. In other terms, they are important in determining the political agenda (what people in the government are thinking about) and in framing the issues (how the issues are being considered).
5. Letters and Calls: People use letters and telephone calls to express their opinions to their elected representatives. While many of these letters and calls are about specific personal problems, such as lost Social Security checks, many of them are about contentious political issues.
6. Protests: In democratic governments as well as dictatorships, protests have served governments as indicators of citizens’ dissatisfaction with government policies. Protest is a good way of communicating with the government, thereby a measure for public opinion
7. Recall: In some democratic jurisdictions, a non-performing member of parliament could withdrawn by the electorate and replaced by another person before the end of his/her term of office. This is done through a process called recall. This recall process is also another way in which public opinion is measured.
8. Referendum: A referendum can also be used to measure what people feel about an issue. The practice involves the referral of a particular issue to the citizens to decide through the exercise of their franchise. Whatever decision is expressed at the referendum reflects the opinion of the people.
Advantages of Public Opinion
Some of the reasons why public opinion is important in every society are as follows:
1. Public Opinion Serves as the Foundation of Democracy: Sovereignty of the people is the very basis of democracy. It means supremacy of the public opinion. In every democracy, the government and its policies are continuously based on public opinion. The government remains in power so long as it is backed by public opinion.
2. Public Opinion is a Device of Effective Control Over the Government: Public opinion is the most effective instrument of control over the government. The government is really responsible to public opinion.
3. Public Opinion Determines Election Results: In an election, the political party that wins enjoys the support of public opinion. The political party which gets the popular mandate to rule has to exercise power only in tune with public opinion. It has to go out of power when public opinion turns against it.
4. Public Opinion is a Major Source of Law: The laws passed by the government are in-fact based upon public demands i.e. demands backed by public opinion. Hence, public opinion is a source of law.
5. Public Opinion is the Sanction Behind Law: The laws that get successfully implemented and produce desired results, are the ones backed by public opinion.
6. Public Opinion is the Guardian of Rights and Freedoms: Rights and Freedom of the people need protection. Public Opinion acts as their guardian. They are the greatest safeguard against any violation of rights and freedoms of the people.
7. Public Opinion is the Basis of State Policies: The government of the state formulates its policies on the basis of the public opinion. All public policies are based on public opinion. The government is supposed to do everything which the public opinion demands.
8. Credibility of a Government Rests Upon Public Opinion: A government backed by strong public opinion enjoys a high degree of credibility. It helps it to work effectively and strongly.
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