Public Opinion

In attaining its development goal, the United States of America has tried to achieve democratic governance to the fuller end. Paul Kecskemeti, 1960 argued that democracy empowers the rule of the majority. Since majority rules, their opinion should be respected. They run the public opinion that determines the political situation of a country.

That is why Thomas Cronin states that “… when popular demands for reasonable change are … ignored by elected officials and when legislators or other officials ignore valid interests…, the initiative, referendum and recall can be a means by which the people may protect themselves in the grand tradition of self-government.”

Public opinion sometimes acts to give the popularity of a political party or an individual. Once popularity has been attained, opinion interests might either be influenced positively or negatively, but a larger percentage is positive in terms of a part or individual gaining popularity. In the Bush-Obama transition period, public opinion favored Obama while less population was with Macain. Obama therefore commanded the voters from the opinion polls sometime given.

The American democracy is given an opinion from day to day happenings in the land. Jeff Manza, Fay Lomax Cook, Benjamin I(2002). In most cases issues to deal with the empowerment of Americans is always given a higher opinion poll than those issues not directly affecting the United States of America. Politicians will always be victims’ of circumstances and their usefulness to Americans. When George Bush took the American troops to Iraq, he was praised and congratulated by almost everybody as they knew the American interest is protected. However, when nothing was coming out, the tension increased and Bush lost popularity.

American opinions also go with oratory skills and personal or party manifesto. Ones you impress you get much opinion poll. America boosts of having produced great orators like Obama and Regan.

Opinion polls help the country to reevaluate its projects. When a small number supports a project at the expense of the majority, then that project has a problem. Opinion polls are therefore important in politics of the United States of America