Why does public opinion matter in a democracy?
What will be an ideal response?
Responses should make note of the view of political scientist V. O. Key who argued that if public opinion does not play a role in shaping policy, then “democracy is nonsense.” Politicians and the media appear to agree with Key’s assessment. Based on their own political narratives, elected officials tend to believe that the public is keeping tabs on them. Congressmen and senators are cognizant of public opinion when casting votes. Presidents are also well aware of public opinion. Recently, presidents have utilized in-house public opinion experts whose polls are employed as part of the process of formulating presidential political strategies. The authors show that although the general public often seems to pay little heed to politics, if the provocation is sufficient, they can and will act decisively. An example of this is the 2006 midterm election in which voters showed their frustrations with war in Iraq by putting Democrats back on control of both houses of Congress. Public opinion also impacts the media, which is reflected in such things as the sizeable investments made by media leaders in polls and the amount of coverage devoted to reporting on public opinion.
You might also like to view...
In Lawrence v. Texas, the Court ruled that gay couples married in states where same-sex marriage is legal must receive the same federal health, tax, and other benefits that heterosexual married couples receive
Indicate whether the statement is true or false
The balance-of-power theory predicts that__________
a. states will pursue joint economic gains regardless of security implications b. states will ally with stronger states in an attempt to ensure their security c. states will ally mainly with other ideologically or culturally similar states d. states will ally with weaker states to prevent any one state from developing a preponderance of power
Post-1960s efforts at devolution have succeeded in bringing back the dual federalism of the pre-New Deal period.
Indicate whether the statement is true or false.
Although Bill Clements, Clayton Williams, and Tony Sanchez never held elective office before they ran for governor, they all became their parties' nominees for that office because they __________.
A. campaigned on the conservative values favored by Texans B. faced opponents who had been charged with corruption C. spent much of their vast personal wealth on their campaigns D. ran positive campaigns against their opponents