Are there particular issues or policy areas where public opinion is, or should b

Question

Are there particular issues or policy areas where public opinion is, or should be, relevant and appropriate to the policy making process? Are polls a good way to measure public opinion? How else could the national mood be measured? What factors limit the influence of public opinion on the policy choices of public officials? Are there particular issues or policy areas where public opinion is, or should be, relevant and appropriate to the policy making process? Are polls a good way to measure public opinion? How else could the national mood be measured? What factors limit the influence of public opinion on the policy choices of public officials?

Explanation / Answer

Yes there can be issues where public opinion is indeed relevant to policy making process. There are matters which may directly affect the citizen and/or social structure of the society. Consider a case of public good provisioning. The govt wants to build a flyover in a town that will connect it to another remote town. In this case, it will be better to do a cost-benefit analysis. One of the ways to assess the utility of a flyover will be to ask the citizens if they really need a flyover. The citizens should be made aware of the possible costs of this flyover such as traffic diversion or any possible taxes/toll that will be levied in future. The citizens should be given a choice to decide whether this transaction is worth the cost.

While polls can tell us about the public sentiment, they need not always a good way to measure public opinion. Voting process can be complicated for the voters if they really do not understand the costs and benefits their choices. Also, in case of close voting share (such as 51% in favor and 49% against), a clear mandate may not be indicated by the public.
Apart from elections, one can also measure public opinion by means of relevant interest groups who can generate a public debate. Media can be another mean of knowing public opinion. The citizens can also engage in protests to express their opinion. A survey can also be conducted to assess public mood. Otherwise, letters and calls addressing a particular issue can also sent and citizens can be asked about their opinion.

Often the public is unaware of what the legal and operational process entails and hence they’re likely to take a bet that serves only their best interests. Individuals won’t care about the overall social benefit of policy benefits. Public

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