PUBLIC OPINION

“Public opinion is the aggregate of many individual opinions on a particular issue that affects a group of people.”

Public opinion is determined by three major factors:

are evaluations people make about specific problems or issues. ATTITUDES: are evaluations people make about specific problems or issues. can be based on many characteristics such as background, culture, education, knowledge, class, ethnicity, and religion. OPINION: are the expression of an attitude on a particular topic. ACTION: When opinions become strong enough, they lead to actions expressed either verbally or behaviorally.

Public opinion and Democracy Public opinion must be public, not individual. It should be as widely held, as possible. Democracy means a government by public opinion. Democracy generates freedom and guarantees expression of views to influence public policy.

OPINION FORMATION AGENCIES PRESS MASS MEDIA PLATFORM PROPANGANDA POLITICAL PARTIES EDUCATION LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLIES