POLI 2051 Lecture : Lecture Ch5a
Document Summary
5 public opinion: definition: the collected attitudes of citizens on a given issue or question. Things that used to be taboo, but are talked about today: smoking pot, sex scandal, and health matters. Because in a democracy, there must be some link between what the public thinks, and what the government does. The nature of that link can vary greatly. It"s the delegate vs. trustee distinction we made earlier. Delegate they should do what we want them to do. Trustee they do what they think is best and we reward/punish them next election. There is also the question of whether the public is capable of governing. 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. The people may be motivated to become.
