Public opinion

Public opinion can be defined as the aggregate or sum total of the views of people living in a country concerning issues of national concern at a particular time. 

                           __**FORMATION OF PUBLIC OPINION**__
  1. Personal Experience: The kind of socialization an individual goes through in the
    family school etc. shapes his orientation of attitudes towards public issues.
  2. Mass Media: The mass media educate inform and entertain the people and by
    performing this functions, the media influences our knowledge and understanding
    of issues.
  3. Pressure Group: The pressure group tend to turn private opinion into public opinion by arousing the sympathy of other people and groups in the society.
  4. Political Parties: Political parties use their various means e.g. rallies, speeches etc. to persuade the voter that their manifesto is best. This may convince the electorate.

Government: Government uses strong propaganda machines to shape the opinion of the people. 

                 __**MEASUREMENT OF PUBLIC  OPINION**__

1.Mass Media: Opinion expressed in the newspaper television and radio through this public opinion is measured.

2. Opinion Poll: Going round to find the opinion of the people to know the feelings of the people about a particular government policy.

3. Quota Sampling: Selecting people either in the schools or people who belong to the same age, male or female.

4. Random sampling : is a type of probability sampling in which the researcher randomly selects a subset of participants from a population.

5. Election Referendum: Referendum involves saying yes or no either in support or against the opinion being formed.

ADVANTAGES / FUNCTIONS OF PUBLIC OPINION

  1. It acts as a check on the government activities and policy that does not favour the people.
  2. It helps the people to participate directly in decision making.
  3. It educates the people on government programme and policies.
  4. Public opinion is a useful guide in any democratic government.
  5. It helps to push the development and ideas from the people to the government.