Public opinion theory
Public opinion theory was deduced from the French word “publique” and was used for the first time in 1955 by French philosopher Michel de Montaigne, in his essays about society. Even before de Montaigne coined the term “public opinion,” classical philosophers had already pondered over this subject. Indeed, public opinion theory might be as old as humanity itself. Plato, in his books Euthyphro and Crito, clearly elucidates the nature and power of public opinion. The papers highlight the demands made by the Athenians to have Socrates executed, leading to his death (Allen, 2012). Plato ponders over this question and makes the judgment that power resides with the masses.
On the other hand, philosopher, Socrates was never a firm believer in public opinion; ironically, he was executed because the public had accused him of corrupting the youth. From the experiences of his predecessor, Plato learned about the power of the masses and never underestimated the crowd. Plato even propounded theories, where he firmly believed that the majority’s opinion was better than an individual’s opinion. Elsewhere Nicollo Machiavelli, in his book The Prince, advises the ruling class that a leader should regard the masses’ opinion with importance (Machiavelli, 2008). Machiavelli stresses that a leader should be loved or feared but not hated. Politicians depend on public opinion to help them forecast election outcomes. Governments, on the other hand, before dictating policies, seek the conclusion of the masses either through referendums or opinion polls. One thing that always has surprised scholars is the dynamic nature of public opinion. Policies in the United States, like other countries, is geared towards the people. However, policy adoption remains a choice because of public opinion (Stimson, 2018).
Attributes of public opinion
The public opinion deals with issues appealing to the masses. It is not concerned with the interest of individuals, although individuals might initiate actions to the public. The Arab spring was started by individuals who were tired of the state of affairs in their countries, they took action, and their influence trickled down to the rest of the population, leading to the ousting of dictators in Tunisia and Egypt. McCombs (2018) suggests that public opinion made it easier for revolutions initiated to succeed as the masses anticipated change.
Public opinion is also concerned with the absolute interest of society. According to the “Positive Theories” of utilitarianism by Jeremy Bentham, the writer propounds that the measure of right or wrong remains with the happiness of the majority (Binmore, 2008). He further states that policies, whether good or bad, should be absolved if they lack the support of the majority. Ideally, public opinion should be the aftermath of a thorough thinking and logical process where options are weighed, judged, and the best decision arrived. Views could be categorized as either rational or based on general feelings and perceptions.
Plato puts it succinctly that a wrong decision arrived at by the masses is better than the right decision made by an individual. Nelson (2015) suggests that public opinion is entirely the juggling of minds, exchange of intelligence to arrive at specific causes of action, and shared understanding. The change in concerns and priorities of society is also a constant dynamic in public opinion. The shift is chiefly because of the aspects of age and time. What is acceptable now might not have been acceptable fifty years ago. Therefore, communities have changed attitudes towards same-sex marriage, gender equality, and leadership type, among other things.
America’s 16th President Sir Abraham Lincoln was a firm believer in public opinion. He is famously quoted that, “Public opinion in this country is everything.” He was a realist and knew that no policy could be formed minus the participation of the public. This was driven perhaps by the dissent from the southern states, which led to the American Civil War of 1861-1865. Holsti (2004) states that Governments in the United States of America and the rest of the democratic world are assumed to be of the people for the people and by the people. President Roosevelt and a majority of Americans were unwilling to join the war against Germany in the second world war. However, this changed when Pearl Harbor was bombed, this shifted the balance, and America’s opinion changed, the government got support from home and entered the war.
The theory and Practice of Polling
Public opinion polling has grown to be the ideal way of measuring public opinion. This method has been adopted by both the government and pollsters to find the general public feeling about issues, policies, and reforms. Concerns have been raised on the accuracy of polling, especially when election results go against their predictions. Polling, like other methods, remains inaccurate and should not be relied on entirely (Stimson, 2018).
Ideally, nations should be controlled by the opinions of their citizens. Unfortunately, this is not the case worldwide. Dictators view their citizens as subjects and suppress freedoms of speech and expression. Public opinion in these nations is subdued and can never manifest. In the democratic world, this phenomenon has also proved to be inconsistent since it can change often. The public’s opinion can be used to make society better or worse. Public opinion has been neglected at times; for instance, the feeling of many Americans was that the war in Iraq was not well informed (Soroka & Wlezien, 2010). However, not all democracies make policies while regarding public opinion. Sometimes the truth is that the masses might be wrong just like Socrates thought, and therefore governments have to make decisions against the general desire.
References.
Binmore, K. (2008). Rational decisions. Princeton University Press.
Allen, R. E. (2012). Plato’s Euthyphro and the Earlier Theory of Forms: A Re-interpretation of the Republic (Vol. 1). Routledge.
Soroka, S. N., & Wlezien, C. (2010). Degrees of Democracy: Politics, public opinion, and policy. Cambridge University Press.
Holsti, O. R. (2004). Public opinion and American foreign policy. University of Michigan Press.
Stimson, J. (2018). Public opinion in America: Moods, cycles, and swings. Routledge.
McCombs, M. (2018). Setting the agenda: Mass media and public opinion. John Wiley & Sons.
Machiavelli, N. (2008). The prince. Hackett Publishing.
Nelson, B. R. (2015). Western political thought: From Socrates to the age of ideology. Waveland Press.