POLI 2051 : Poli 2051 Chris Kenny Exam 2
Document Summary
Definition public opinion refers to the political attitudes expressed by ordinary people and considered as a whole typically revealed by polling surveys. It is important in a democracy because in a democracy we understand it to be fundamentally about the rule of the people. There must be some link between what the public thinks, and what the government does. The nature of that link can vary greatly. Who is most interested in public opinion: elected officials may influence government decision making, academics seek to understand why people behave the way they do, the people may be motivated to become active in politics. No, most americans knows nothing about the government but we find out from polls. Surveys show that people: are not very interested in politics, are ignorant of much that goes on politically, rely heavily on cues and shortcuts rather than informed issue positions.
