Public+Opinion+-+Impact+on+Government

=**Public Opinion Impact on Government**=

**By: Jon Qian and Aziza Alam**
America. As Abraham Lincoln put it, a country of the people, by the people and for the people. The American government is a system that would not be able to function without the influence of public opinion.The sole purpose of the government is to represent the people -- to ensure that they are being served justly and that their needs are being met. The government feeds off of public opinion to form policies, pass laws and make decisions for the country. To determine what the people believe are the essential issues and problems that need to be dealt with, the government must closely observe public opinion. Public opinion can be measured through polling. Using polling results, politicians can shape their policies and introduce new ones that suit the desires and needs of citizens. In this way, the government hears the voices of Americans and puts the people in power. However, many are starting to believe that government should theoretically rely on public opinion in all policy making decisions, but in actuality does not always do so. So, how much does public opinion really impact the government?

__The History of Public Opinion__  The Founders recognized that the decisions made by politicians with government offices is incredibly affected by public opinion. Especially in the House of Representatives, where there is a direct link between the people and their opinions’ advocate, the holders of these offices must listen and respond accordingly to public opinion. Public opinion polling is prevalent from the beginning of a politician's career to his or her end; it strongly influences his or her perspectives on political issues and political decisions. Even before George Gallup conducted the first ever public opinion poll in 1935, politicians gathered public information dating to the earliest meetings of the House of Burgess in Virginia. During that time, candidates were surreptitiously observant of the opinions of others, and used these observations to help determine how they should present their arguments.

 __The Government and Public Opinion__  Today, it is believed that many politicians do not utilize public opinion to decide on what their policies are, but rather, how they should be presented. There are two main goals of a politician: to execute their policies into action and to win reelection. In order to do this, politicians use public opinion polling to strategize how they can win public support. Instead of directly informing the public mind about the accolades of the their policies, politicians use public opinion polling to persuasively highlight specific topics for the public to consider. For example, the Republican Party regularly impresses the idea of big government on the public to stimulate an unsettled mindset of a much-too-powerful government. Being a successful politician indicates that you have the ability to persuade and win public support. However, because the public mind is difficult to change due to specific values and customs, politicians must use information concerning public opinion to uniquely word their presentations on their policies and manipulate the public mind. **“Power phrases”** or “crafted talk” is a strategy that politicians can use to persuade the people towards a policy. By using these carefully selected words, politicians can make the policies sounds more or less favorable depending on their intentions. For example, Bush used the words “balanced” and “comprehensive” to describe his energy plan while in office, encouraging people to support the plan and support Bush as a politician. By framing their policies in a way that speaks to the desires and needs public, politicians can find support.

====//This political cartoon depicts a scene where the voter has been manipulated by politicians through polling. The pollster represents the connection between public opinion and the politician's strategy to reword presentations. The voter is presented as confused over whether to vote based on the politician's manipulated message or her true values. Does this contend with the American representative democracy ideal? Explain how is does or does not.//====

Along with manipulating public opinion to find support for policies, it does seem that at times the government is not willing act upon public opinion. Parties may do this if they feel that honoring public opinion will jeopardize their party’s platform or stances on issues. For example, during Bill Clinton’s sex scandal, it appeared that the public did not support impeaching the president although they did condemn his action. However, the Republicans in government feared that agreeing with the public opinion would put them at risk for ridicule and would go against their platform; thus, public opinion did not impact their decision and Republican popularity fell. This type of unresponsiveness is only one example of why trust in representative leaders are failing. As a representative democracy, the chosen leaders should respond only to the needs of the people they represent. Instead, the system has evolved into a method in which the leaders try to persuade and manipulate the people to support their cause. This is easier to achieve based on topics that the majority of the public does not fully understand. For example, in the issue of abortion and social security, the general public has enough information to have already illustrated a side; thus, pursuing to alter their beliefs is almost futile. When Bush was reelected 2004 he wanted to reform Social Security. But after polling, it appeared there was little support for change so the administration pulled back on its support for reform. His surreptitious public opinion analysts knew that the majority of the public population did not support Bush’s social security reform, and knew well enough that trying to persuade them is useless. Public opinion can sometimes have a direct impact on popular policy in different ways. In order to win reelection, elected politicians must satisfy the opinion or wants of their **constituents** when the topic is controversial. In addition, most funds for campaigning are collected from private sources; in order to secure campaign contributions, candidates must keep those sources content. For example, the **Political Action Committees (PACs)** are organizations that specifically raises funds for specific candidates that can be very persuasive in policy platforms. Also, **interest groups** have been created that specifically enhance awareness for policies and decisions. They have privately raised funds for supported politicians and disseminated persuasion onto the general public. Finally, public opinion has the ability to notify politicians of the problems and desires the public masses are facing. It also can illustrate the values, customs, and patterns a public is going through, a device that can either be used to directly satisfy their wants or try to use those facts to reword presentations.

__Summary: __  The impact of public opinion on the government really varies from issue to issue. Although it may not be true that the government takes all public opinion into account, public opinion can have an influence on how a politician presents a policy and what policies the politician most publicizes. Public opinion strongly influences politicians on what and how they should support and present their platforms. Based on the issues politicians feel are relevant to the public, they can gain more support in office. However, this does not mean that public opinion is always manipulated by the government. America is a representative democracy and public opinion does greatly influence the government. The government is supposed to work to make the public happy and meet their needs, and it will do so in the most appropriate way they see fit. However, the government does rely on their own beliefs and opinions because public opinion can vary a lot. Not all minority opinions may be represented in public opinion poll results, and polling may not provide an accurate representation of how the public really feels about an issue. Therefore, public opinion has an impact on the government and policy making; however, it is not solely relied on by specific politicians for decision-making. Rather, it is a tool through which politicians communicate to the public and the public communicates to the politicians. Public opinion runs on a two way street.

//This political cartoon addresses a problem will polling public opinion. The cartoon represents a technique used by pollsters that causes public opinion to be warped and does not accurately represent the opinions of the people. How might this technique of polling affect the impact of public opinion on governmental policies? Why do you think it is used?//

Summary Review Questions: 1) In what types of issues are politicians incapable of manipulating or persuading the public to change their mind in? Why is this so?

 2) How would politicians use public opinion polls to manipulate voters?

 3) How do Political Action Committees (PACs) influence a politician or candidate on policies? Why would they do this?

4) What would be some examples of why some politicians refuse to comply with the desires of the public and continue his/her policy?

5) Today, does the general public have a more positive or negative opinion of the country’s leaders? Are the leaders fully representing the peoples’ needs and wants? Explain **. **

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Click here for answers

__Vocabulary:__

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> **Public opinion:** what the public thinks about a particular issue or set of issues at any point in time

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> **Public Opinion Polls:** interviews or surveys with samples of citizens that are used to estimate the feelings and beliefs of the entire population

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> **Power Phrases:** carefully selected words or phrases that influence the public’s opinion on politicians’ policies

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> **Constituents:** members of a specific body of voters who elect a representative to a legislative government

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> **Political Action Committees (PACs):** organizations that specifically raises funds for specific candidates that can be very persuasive in policy platforms

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> **Interest Groups:** a collection of people or organizations that tries to influence public policy

__<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Further Readings: __ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> The Impact of Public Opinion on Public Policy <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> [|The Role of Salience on the Relationship between Public Policy and Public Opinion] <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> [|The Impact of Public Opinion on Environmental Policy]

__Works Cited:__

[|Politicians Don't Pander]

[|Polls are Part of the Air Politicians Breathe]

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