Question

Explain the role of Public Opinion as it compares to Politics and defend whether you feel it is important or not.

Answer 1

Q: Explain the role of Public Opinion as it compares to Politics and defend whether you feel it is important or not.

A: Public opinion is basically the voice of the people or citizens and all their attitudes, desires, needs, wants, and issues taken together as a collective. Public opinion is very important and crucial as it drives the public policy decision-making and policy action of a government or a state. Politicians and elected leaders must listen to the opinions and voices of the people if they want to be successful in public policy and be re-elected again and again.

The raison d'être or the main/essential reason for the existence of political leaders is to serve the people of its jurisdiction and cater to their needs. Democratically elected governments are responsible and accountable to the people.

To summarise from Abraham Lincoln's famous quote in his Gettysburg address, "That government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”, which could mean that governments are made up of the people, i.e., members of the general public are elected to office by the people to work for the benefit of the people and serve the people, then such a democractically elected government will remain in perpetual existence and cannot be negated and removed for it will remain on a very strong foundation rooted by the cause and the support of the people who have voted it to power.