Public opinion’s influence on officials
CLEP American Government, Chapter 36 Public opinion’s influence on officials Public preferences can reach officials through elections, constituent communication, protest, organized advocacy, polling, media attention, and anticipated electoral reaction. Influence is possible even when no official simply follows a poll. A credible responsiveness claim needs the right constituency, correct time order, an actor with discretion, […]
Consensus and polarization
CLEP American Government, Chapter 36 Consensus and polarization Consensus is broad agreement. Polarization is separation into opposing camps, usually with greater distance between them and fewer positions in the middle. A close vote establishes division, not necessarily polarization. The full distribution supplies the evidence. A single average or a two-category tally can hide whether opinions […]
