It is an expression of the people, for the people and says a great deal about the freedom they enjoy. The verdict of the people reaches the government or to various organizations, through opinion polls and surveys conducted in the different regions of the country. In a democratic set up people themselves are the caretakers of the socio--political framework, but most importantly they are the decision makers. These decisions are of paramount importance, as they affect the lives of people directly. Theoretically, that means people are responsible for themselves and the opinion of responsible citizens is of great value to a democratic society. An individual’s primary priorities lie with his own interests and the decision he makes are based on those interests.



To make some important decisions, there has to be some sort of mechanism used to know what people think, how they feel about a particular policy or decision. Here opinion polls come into the picture. These polls can be quite effective but their potential and accuracy depends on various factors, which we will come to later. So it is easy to know what majority of people think through opinion polls. Similarly conducting surveys can also enlighten many organizations and companies about the products people use, want to use or may be even dislike. Conducting a survey is also fairly easy. It could be either over the telephone or the internet.

Coming back to opinion polls , are they really effective? Is it easy to make a decision after knowing what people want ? Let us cite an example to see if opinion polls are indeed effective or not. In a class of sixty students , a poll is taken to decide the color of walls in the classroom. Four choices are given, which include Cream, White, Sky blue and yellow. The result of the poll was twenty one students opted for cream, seventeen opted for white , fifteen for sky blue and seven for yellow respectively. A decision is made according to the result of the polls. Thirty nine students don’t get what they want. Perhaps if there were only two colors to choose from , we would have made more than fifty percent students favoring a single color, making it easy to decide on a color. Which brings into perspective why having a bilateral party system in America is so effective.

Let us look deeper at what factors influence public opinion. Our profession , past experiences, economic condition etc very strongly influence public opinion. People are likely to elect war heroes as governors or presidents for that matter. It kindles in them a patriotic feeling. They will be concerned less with the fact whether the person in question is an able leader of men, or even fit for being the governor of the state or not. Similarly a business man will favor a capitalist government more than the communist one , as it is in his own interest to do so. while the economically week will have an opinion that a communist government is a better choice. There is nothing wrong with this as every one is entitled to look after their own interests. Due to this , more important questions like, What is good for the country? What kind of government does the country need? Eclipses behind individualism. Again this probes the age old question of how valuable public opinion really is.

The role of television, media cannot be left out when it comes to public opinion. Their role is very significant. Some people actually derive conclusions , based on what they see on television. In an era when every news is dramatized with background music and extraordinary editing , almost like a television sitcom , which blinds the senses of the people and alter their opinions. The media sometimes hijacks the thought process and rational thinking takes a back seat. What we see today are media trials , where the media gives its judgment first before any court.

So media opinion is reflected by people, who are very influenced by it.

Same is true for the print media, where the actual opinion of the people is heard with a sidetone of writer’s own opinion. This generally follows a rule, the less accomplished the writer the louder the sidetone and vice versa . In developing or third world countries where media is available only in some of the major cities, the opinion polls conducted may turn out to be highly inaccurate, because opinion of the people is highly effected by the media in the major cities. It might differ from the rest of the country.

The countries which seek public opinion of the people on various issues can be said to have a very good governing body and administration. Public opinion reflects majority of citizen’s beliefs. People might argue over its effectiveness or use. Everyone’s opinion should not be taken as it confuses matters more , since people sometimes don’t know what they want. Nevertheless it’s great to know what people think time and again because eventually everything is done in the interest of the people.