Nature of public opinion

Nature of Public Opinion. During the greater part or human history government was viewed as something
exalted and mysterious, beyond the comprehension of the masses. The authority of rulers was believed to be
of divine origin, and the people were expected to give reverence and obedience, not to question or criticize
the acts of those in authority. With the spread of democracy, government came to be viewed as a means by
which the best interests of the people could be served, and the officials of government as public servants
selected to express and carry out the popular will. This change in attitude toward government has been
owing largely to the growth and power of public opinion and to the development of methods of giving it
effective expression. Among the factors contributing to this growth have been the increased intelligence of
the people resulting from public education ; the widening of the electorate, enabling the people to take
active part in government; and the development of means of communication and of devices to keep the
public informed and interested

MEANING OF PUBLIC OPINION

What is Public?
The word ‘public’ is generally used to refer to a large group of people. It is sometimes
used as synonymous with crowd. The members of the public need not collect together in
one place. They may be dispersed and not know each other. According to Anderson and
Parker, “A public is that form of collectivity which includes a number of dispersed and
non-organized individuals who are faced with an issue about which there may be
differences of opinion.”

According to Kimball Young, “An opinion is a belief somewhat stronger or more intense than a
mere notion or impression but less stronger than positive knowledge based on complete or
adequate proof. Opinions are really beliefs about a controversial topic.” Generally, what passes
on for opinion is one’s impression, sentiment or prejudice.
Opinion implies careful thought and consideration. It is founded on some kind of information or
evidence. It is not necessary that opinion should always be correct, it may even be faulty.

Public opinion is the result of psychological and social processes that lead to a situation in which the
behavior of each member of a public in regard to an issue is conditioned by his expectation that
other members of the public hold similar attitudes on the same issue. The public opinion process
involves the formation of individual attitudes and opinions, group opinion processes, ‘personal
sampling,” and inter-group communication