Tuesday, June 5, 2012

public opinion-what it means?


Definition
Public opinion is the aggregate of individual attitudes or beliefs held by the adult population. Public opinion can also be defined as the complex collection of opinions of many different people and the sum of all their views.
The principle approaches to the study of public opinion may be divided into 4 categories:
i.            Quantitative measurement of opinion distributions;
ii.            Investigation of the internal relationships among the individual opinions that make up public opinion on an issue;
iii.            Description or analysis of the public role of public opinion;
iv.            Study both of the communication media that disseminate the ideas on which opinions are based and of the uses that propagandist and other manipulators make of these media.
1.   MEDIA
Mass media content created for newsworthy events and those stories that are not told all have Television broadcasting has a large amount of control over the content society watches and the times in which it is viewed. This is a distinguishing feature of traditional media which new media have challenged by altering the participation habits of the public. The internet creates a space for more diverse political opinions, social and cultural viewpoints and a heightened level of consumer participation. There have been suggestions that allowing consumers to produce information through the internet will lead to an overload of information.
2.   Evolution
When people realized that their work and every day decision making can have a effect on other people as well than the concept of public opinion evolved.
3.   Press Democracy at Work
The print media includes newspaper, periodicals, pamphlets, journals, leaflets etc. Press or print media supplies the news regarding all political and social happenings in the world. It throws a flood of light on current issues. In fact press is regarded as the watchdog of democracy by carrying the voice of the public to the government. People express their criticism or support in the form of articles, or comments through press. Hence, make the government responsible and answerable. In fact, government also propagates its policies and programmes through media. It tries to highlight its achievements to make public opinion in its favour.
4.   Radio and Television
Electronic media i.e. radio and televisions act as a mirror of social life. Print media influences only the educated. The electronic media plays an important part in collecting the information and moulding the thoughts of the uneducated masses also. The audio-visual media is used as a powerful means for bringing about social transformation and setting up a new social order free from social evils. It is used to educate the masses on certain sensitive issues like casteism, communalism violence etc. Through radio and television masses communicate their feelings and opinions towards various government policies and programmes.
5.     Political parties and their activities
Political parties formulate and organize public opinion. They are called mobilisers of opinion. Political parties not only make the people aware of various public issues. Their purpose is to make the people politically conscious to think about public problems. Political parties publish journals, pamphlets, leaflets, manifestoes, posters etc. to mould the public opinion in their favour.
6.   Educational Institutions
They include schools, colleges, literary clubs, study circles, universities and libraries etc. They can mould public opinion to a great extent. The adolescents get easily swayed by the opinion of others. Therefore the right kind of training is very important for this age group. Eminent leaders, scholars and educationists help in moulding their leadership qualities and help in creating public opinion through Debates, Talks, Seminars etc. Various co-curricular activities like Drama, Symposium, Painting/Slogan writing competition etc. also prove very effective in sensitizing the students on important national and international issues. There are certain limitations on the use of public opinion. It is believed that the public takes interest in local and national affairs. The public is reasonably well informed. The public thinks, with reason and logic and arrives at the rational conclusion. The opinion of the public is expressed through the elections/polls. Public opinion always keeps the government on its toes and the alert government makes the laws based on social and moral principles expressed by it. Public opinion is the voice of interested spectators of action. Public opinion reflects the plurality and diversity of opinions. Sometimes it is taken very casually. It is more a matter of interpretation. Fault does not lie with the opinion but with the interpretation. At times, sample may also not be appropriate. In modern mass societies people read, listen and see so much that it is not always easy for them to sift facts from fiction. Hence, it poses a great challenge to people to make intelligent discrimination of news and views. However, the fact remains that public opinion is very effective means of communication between the government and the citizens.
7.      
8.     Legislature:
Legislature in every democratic country is a forum for expression of political ideas. Debates and discussions arc held in the legislature. An account of these debates is published in the newspapers.
People read them with great interest and thus they are acquainted with all the aspects of political life.
Significance
Public opinion is considered to be the essential element for successful working of democratic communication in the system. Public Opinion is the expression of the views of citizens. No government can afford to ignore it. A sound and effective public opinion can even shake the structures of dictators. The strength of democratic system lies in respecting the mind power of the people. There should be free and fair interaction of thoughts for solving the collective problems. Public opinion acquires great relevance in realising this democratic goal. It promotes wider awareness and invites citizens to examine issues from different points of view. The significance and role of public opinion can be explained as follows:
(A) Guide to the Government: Public opinion acts as the guide to the government in respect of policy formation. Government functions in general on the basis of mandate received in elections and tries to win over the masses to fulfil the promises made during elections.
(B) Helping in Law Making: Government is always under pressure of public opinion and takes note of the same in formulating laws for the common good. Governmental policies are invariably affected by people’s opinion on various issues. Public opinion helps the government to enact laws in the given situation.
(C) Acts as a Watchdog: Public opinion acts as a watchdog. It controls and checks the government from becoming irresponsible. While criticizing the wrong policies of the government, public opinion always keeps the government alert. Government is always conscious of the fact that people would not vote for it or bring it back to power again if it goes against the wishes of the people.
(D) Protects the Rights & Liberties: Public opinion acts as the protector of rights and liberties of citizens. In a democratic country, people have the right to criticize or support the government in their own way. More effective and positive use of this right not only encourages or motivates the government but also keeps the government alive towards the rights and liberties of the people.
(E) Acts as a Powerful Force in International Sphere: - Public opinion has acquired worldwide importance. In fact, international relations are influenced by public opinion. In the age of globalization, the issues like promotion and protection of human rights, environment and discrimination based on race, religion or sex, prevention of child labour, terrorism etc. hold international community answerable to public opinion. Therefore, the governments remain conscious of such international public opinion also. In fact, no democratic government can afford to ignore public opinion.



Problems:
1.   Elite Transfer:-
                 Ruling class always belong to upper class. Majority of the positions formed in this class. This is the class which has a luxurious life and got high education, hats why they are far away from the problems of lower class and can’t hear the necessities of common people. For instance in subcontinent all countries have a role of passing ones leader ship to next generation.
2.    Lack of honesty:-
                           Honest and sound public opinion is one of the major problems of Pakistan. Some people are wrongly influenced or they themselves express wrong public opinion because of their choice. Ones honesty behind this dishonesty is the shame behind ones idea, and some are also afraid to express the right because they are scared of the majority’s opinion. another issue still resides that why people don’t contributes or such polls that measures or determine public opinion such problems are caused by ignorance or lack of  interest in politics and state matters.
So, it is very important that people should be awarded of the current scenario and political situations with trends in system by which they are being ruled upon. By this method people will take parts in polls and surveys regarding people opinion. An effective and sound public opinion will then require both people’s contribution, that is their due duty upon state, and honesty, which is the fundamental requisite for true leader ship. For instance America and u.k conducts regular polls regarding issues in states and politics and the contribution percentage is 90% to 95%. Thus it proves that effective system of rule (e.g. democracy) require public opinion


3.   Illiteracy:-
          A literate state can achieve high goals for the progress of their country. Only through high literacy rate nations can make their moral high. According to Pakistani commission 57% people (who can read or write his name) are literate .this is not enough percentage for the progress of a country but only 23% people who are well educated and can underline the problems of a common man, which is very low from the bottom line. In such condition public opinion become ineffective
4.   Collection:-
                    The major problem is the procedure to collect data. It requires a lot of physical effort and also extra usage of budget. One procedure is to make samples in which sample of an area or field has taken and make analysis of public opinion. In second procedure analyst ask person to person to get exact figures
In first procedure the data can be mishandle e.g. thousand people are working in a factory, to get a public opinion analyst picked up 100 people  from total and if 5 or 6 persons not gives their opinion it will cause a lack of sample and if the underline people’s opinion doesn’t match with other people will be false data. And the data picking up by different fields like class, work, nature etc It will be a highly charge procedure
In second procedure it is very difficult to ask one by one from every person.  It causes high expanses.
Public opinion is too much costly like in our country (Pakistan).so collection is not a reliable.                      
5.   Media as white elephant:-
                                         Media is forth pillar of democratic government. It is playing vital role through which every person aware with common and important news on daily bases. Different is considered an authentic source of information. Different talk shows and opinion programs are held to aware common people with burning news and sometimes unimportant issues highlighted by them. For example issue of dengue became very popular in last days because of media intention; media helped by giving every person awareness but also frighten to them by the daises.
                                        
6.   Supporting ones view point:-
                                              A person who claims a party or an individual better than others and supports particular party/individual vice versa but can’t prove it for instance people are not well known about historical movements and make their concepts according to the limited knowledge. As in the previous election after the death of Benazir Bhutto PPP was succeeded to role in federal. The survey was held by different media channels to know about vote casting in the favor of PPP and most of the public said JUST BECAUSE OF THE DEATH OF BHUTTO AND HIS DAUGHTER MARTERYARD…so this type of irrelevant arguments are given by public.



Requirements of an effective public opinion
The effectiveness and weightage of a sound public opinion is dependent upon the very participation of common people in politics. It has been statistically observed that a lot of people don’t take interest in political happenings around them or in their nation, others who do, lack exact and accurate information. In developed countries like U.S and U.K, the government and some non-governmental organisations conduct regular public opinion measurements, often through public polls and other techniques. This exercise makes people aware of the current issues also with benefiting the present governing body by public opinion about them and some issues.

The presence of an effective public opinion is most important for a developing country like Pakistan where democracy is starting to live now. It is difficult to discover the different trends in our society and even more difficult to dig out public opinion from such society. Very few people come on the merit to give an effective public opinion. Those who give such opinions are the victims of prejudices and biased opinion on account of wrong, invalid or bad information/experience. The concept of public opinion is generally criticised on the grounds that is always reflect the opinion of few political leaders, and that at its initial stages, it always aims at protecting the vested interests. It is given so wider publicity through the effective use of propaganda machinery that common people are also mobilised, thereby opinion of an elite class is transformed into public opinion. Common people do not enough time or knowledge and information to develop independent opinion.
Only such an opinion can be called effective or sound public opinion that fulfils the following requirements:-


1.     Freedom of expression:-
Better decisions can be arrived at in an atmosphere of free deliberations. Freedom of expression is an essential prerequisite regarding the formation of an effective public opinion. Not following the way of power and letting common people say what they want to can prove a lot better for both the government and people. Free discussion also helps the government in keeping itself better informed about their mistakes and what people want and also about the trends in public opinion. Frequency in the flow of information helps a government in the performance of its feedback functions.

2.   Vigilance:-
Eternal vigilance and interest in political affairs is an essential requirement of a sound and effective public opinion. An ignorant person is incapable of understanding the difficult issues involved in public policy or policy making. The people are expected to be conscious enough to understand important political problems and issues relating to both, internal as well as international affairs.

3.   Freedom of press and public publications:-
Freedom of media and press publications is another important requisite of an effective and sound public opinion. Flow of information is necessary to the formation of this opinion. In case undue restraints and banns over media and publications, rumours will always have their way up. The wrongdoers may take advantage of such situation, hence can misguide public by wrong information, such as to affect the public view. It is however necessary that positive steps should be taken in order to eliminate the vested interests on media and replace them with upright and just persons.

4.   Tolerance:-
Freedom of expression and freedom of media and press publications cannot always ensure the true formation of a sound public opinion if people are not tolerant enough to listen to the opposite point of view. The threat to liberty comes from an intolerant majority that oppress and regiment minorities by virtue of its numerical strength. In like manner, sound opinion can’t develop in case a minority is intolerant to the verdict of the majority.

5.   National integration:-
A group of people held by fraternal feelings can develop sound opinion because they all think for the betterment of their country and nation. It is essential that they should not indulge in parochial prejudices. General consensus on important regime norms and on basic ideological principles is imperative for sound public opinion.

Our society
During the research on voting behaviour, it was found that the values of people have deep bearing on their actions and thoughts, irrespective of the advancements they have made. The clever politicians try to exploit this aspect of the social life during elections and use attractive slogans. Some even use religion as a tool for political victory. Undoubtedly, the cultural legacy of a people sets targets of politics and determines the tone of collective life.

The people of Pakistan also pay due heed to their cultural heritage. In order to appraise the trends of public opinion of this region, the Muslims cultural legacy will have to be taken into consideration. No party in Pakistan can afford to violate the basic values and beliefs that underlie the ideology of this country. Even the secular parties, in order to legitimise their role, had to mould their programmes and policies in this direction. Pakistan has faced a lot of problems since its independence; merely a system of democracy has worked. So the changing scenario always affects the public opinion and the insecurity of the system. Or we can say that the system of governance is not that safe. Opinion of the common people depends upon the system by what they are being ruled. In Pakistan we can say that as democracy has been attacked by some people as is public opinion been. Problems such as elite transfer and opinion leaders hinder the way people think about the present government or the residing issues.
Despite the cultural legacy on the lifestyle of a society, the values and belief system itself is not stagnant, as it is affected by the changing trends of public opinion. The economic changes and technological advancements have, of course, shaped such trends. Due tremendous developments in the field of communication and transportation, the interaction between the nations has been broadened. Consequently, mutual diffusion of cultures has given rise to new trends and promoted new values in every society. Development in mutual relationship and ever increasing dependence of societies, have fostered new beliefs and modes of thinking and replaced some outdated norms. Nevertheless, the dimension of this conflict between traditionalism and modernism has been varying from society to society and from region to region.

Improvements done in the method of measurement

Effectiveness of public opinion in a democratic system is dependent upon the fact as how far it has been successful in shaping public policy. It has been an important problem for a representative government, to keep itself well-informed about the trends of public opinion. Following are the major improvements in the area of measuring the public opinion:

1.   Modern method and private polls:-
Lot of improvements took place regarding the perfection of technique in the measurement of public opinion. As a matter of fact, many such techniques had been in use since long in business and commercial activities. But these were imitated and began to be used in politics from 1936 onward. By this time, different other agencies, other than the news paper, also got involved in conducting opinion polls.
Apart from the involvement of certain agencies and institutions in the conduct of opinion polls, sometimes candidates contesting the elections also do it. It is on the basis of findings by public opinion that the candidates are in a better position to assess the general trends of public opinion. Hence candidates and political parties, try to shape their policies in the light of new and better requirements.
2.   Voting( an appraisal):-
As direct democracy is no more possible, due to the high population of a nation, in the present times, whereas people are practically taken into confidence only at times of elections held after intervals; opinion polls can be instrumental in promoting public interest in politics. It is generally observed that people show more interest in the election of men then in the choice of issues. But the process relating to the measurement of public opinion, promotes the interest of people directly in policy matters. Hence they can be indirectly involved in the process of policy-making. No doubt. Sometimes miscalculations take place in the results of public opinion polls but such defects can be overcome through frequent use of such methods.

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