ecture L Public Opinion
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Public Opinion is the collected attitudes of citizens on a p articular public issue. Formation: Public Opinion is formed through two p rocesses:
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political socialization two-step flow (media, opinion leaders) direction intensity stability
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P. O. has three important properties:
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Channels of communication of public opinion from masses t o elites:
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polls letters, calls, emails, candygrams, etc demonstrations, riots, boycotts, strikes interest groups elections media
These vary in their accuracy and ability to convey intensity.
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How do elites react to public opinion?
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One way to think about it: The American Pie. Issues c ross-cut the population so that intelligent politicians a void stands on p osition i ssues (e.g. abortion) and stress v alence issues (e.g. crime). (Don't you wish you'd been in c lass this?!) for Another way to think about it: Logic of Excluded Middle. E lite has two options: it can
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e ither share public opinion, or not share public opinion. I f it shares public opinion its c hoice is simple: it does what it and the public want. If i t doesn't share public opinion, then it has three c hoices. I t can
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try to change public opinion ignore public opinion (gulp) change own opinion
Miscellany:
There is a great deal of opinion without information. No one r eally needs information to have an opinion (fill in your own joke o n this one). Most people don't care about most public issues m ost of the time. Often the leaders of the country pay attention o nly to what is called the "attentive public" -- people who do pay a ttention on selected issues. These people often represent or are m embers of groups affected by specific policies.