In addition to the thread, the student is required to reply to 2 other classmates’ threads. Each reply must be 300 words
American opinion has indeed shaped politic consequences, political interests, and policy making. Even with little or no interest in policy making and politics, the assumption of democracy gives the citizens the power to freely air out their issues and give their opinion in matters of political concern. Taking the war in Iraq, it posed a significant economic and political imbalance. However, support from the politicians was negligible. And because a majority of the Americans opposed the war in Iran, they voted for a Democratic congressional candidate. Their opinion played a great deal in making concrete policies in response to the war in Iraq.
Public opinion is a reflection of the citizens’ view on how the government responds to national politics. Political actions are driven by the citizen’s opinion (Erikson, & Tedin, 2015). It sheds light on the outcomes of specific policies and helps the political candidates identify the characters demanded of them by the citizens. Political scholars argued that the perception of old public opinions was changed because of ambiguity and inaccuracy (Dür, 2019). Modern theories came to identify public opinion as either latent or a broad expression. Latent opinions are formed on the spot, while broad expressions are opinions that had earlier been formed and remained stable (Cantril, 2015).
When convincing policymakers, it proves difficult, interest groups may indirectly influence public opinion. They can achieve this through the media, holding rallies, or handing out leaflets to the public (Dür, 2019). Because the citizens have little or no information on policy making, they can easily be swayed by interest groups. Interest groups can, therefore, successfully source their support from public opinion or not.
Public opinion remains relevant in American politics. Journalists, politicians, and political scientists should focus on getting the public’s opinion on state affairs. In as much as views might differ or change, establishing a common ground will help in policy making (Dür, 2019). For the war in Iraq, the Democratic gained power over the senate and House. This was greatly influenced by the failure of public support that shifted the pro-Democratic in 2006 and the 2008 elections. Because opinions are not fixed, establishing a connection between public views and political outcomes might be impossible.
References
Berry, J. M., & Wilcox, C. (2015). The interest group society. Routledge.
Cantril, H. (2015). Gauging public opinion. Princeton University Press.
Dür, A. (2019). How interest groups influence public opinion: Arguments matter more than the sources. European journal of political research, 58(2), 514-535.
Erikson, R. S., & Tedin, K. L. (2015). American public opinion: Its origins, content, and impact. Routledge.
