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By: M. ALI AMIN

PUBLIC OPINION AND DEMOCRACY

The world is not run by thought, nor by imagination, but by

opinion.

(Elizabeth Drew)

Force and not opinion is the queen of the world, but it is the
opinion that uses the force. 

(Blaise Pascal)

Early human civilizations and realms were totalitarian and dictatorial. In

these realms, national politics and affairs used to impound in the hands of
kings and magnates. Common people and underprivileged people had no
right to participate in national politics and affairs.

With the evolution and advancement of democracy, the concept and theory
of Public Opinion became potent and important. Moreover, as the
perceptions of democracy and democratic institutions gained strength and
popularity, common people and underprivileged people emerged as
democratically elected leaders and governors of a democratic country. In
this manner, Public Opinion turned superior and as the people
comprehend their political rights, they started to realize public opinion as a
force that guides a democratic country.
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Thus, perceptively we can define public opinion as follows.

“Public opinion is the integrated collection of people’s beliefs, views and

thoughts which deal with national, social, political and economic issues. In
addition to this Public opinion deals with everyday problems, public
interests and benefits”

Therefore, we can say that

“Public Opinion is that will and motivation of people which they want to
ensure practically and realistically in their country”

Here it is also important to mention that public opinion is formed by taking

into account public interests and benefits. Therefore, an opinion that is
formed by denying the rights of minorities cannot be called Public Opinion.
On the other hand, an opinion of the minority which is for public interest
and benefit deserves to be called Public Opinion. Facts show that Public
Opinion is the opinion of those people(from press, radio, TV, political
parties etc.) of a society which are more active in the political life of a
country, opinion of these people strongly influence general people and
when they agree with their opinion it becomes Public Opinion. Thus, Public
Opinion must be formed by conveying truth and only truth to the people.

From the above discussion, it is clear that Public Opinion is not the opinion
of a particular group of society, however, it is a combined collection of
people’s thoughts and sum of all their views. Secondly, it is obvious and
unambiguous.

In the present democratic world, public opinion has become influential and
decisive and its importance could be best described by saying of great
democratic leader Sir Abraham Lincoln.

“In this and like communities, public sentiment is everything. With public
sentiment, nothing can fail; without it, nothing can succeed”

Therefore, Public Opinion is extremely essential for the proper and

successful working of democratic institutions, because with the power and
supremacy of Public Opinion people can express their will and preference.
Secondly the proper use of people’s vote also strongly relies upon an
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effective and true Public Opinion. Moreover, victory and failure of political
parties strongly rely upon favour and hinder of Public Opinion. In short,
the power and inclination of Public Opinion determines the focus of
political life in a democratic country. And it is the Public Opinion which
makes governments, leaders strong and feckless. That’s why dictators and
autocrats also try to turn Public Opinion into their favour by use of
propaganda. They also know that Public Opinion is highly estimable. As an
example, Nazi Propaganda was a crucial instrument to influence Public
Opinion through the use of media. By turning the Public Opinion into their
favour they acquired and maintained power, for the implementation of
their policies, including the pursuit of war and extermination of millions of
people in the Holocaust.

Gist if Public Opinion is formed based on truth and honesty by conveying

truth to people then it proves extremely useful and beneficial for a country,
its people and the whole nation. At the same time if Public Opinion is
formed based on falseness and dishonesty by conveying lies to the people
leading to misleading of a nation. Then Such Public Opinion can prove
extremely fatal for a country, its rulers, its people and the whole nation.

In the formation and expression of Public, Opinion propaganda has great

importance. In the present age, political parties spend money on
propaganda to get the sympathies and approval of people.

As it’s a reality that

Through clever and constant application of propaganda, people can be

made to see paradise as hell.

Therefore, we cannot deny the importance of propaganda in the formation

of Public Opinion. As it is a useful and effective method of conveying,
spreading news and information to the people. Nevertheless, propaganda
has been used by some interest lovers to mislead the people to achieve their
selfish desires and objectives.

In the present age, we use the following means to form and influence the
Public Opinion.

PRESS
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Press especially newspapers and journals play a vital and significant

function in the formation of Public Opinion due to the following palpable
reasons.

 Newspapers and journals convey news and information to the

people. Important and intuitive comments on news also get
published in newspapers through articles. And articles have great
importance in the formation of effective and true Public Opinion.
 Newspapers and journals are not very expensive and all kinds of
news get published in them.
 The daily details of working of senate and parliament also get
published in newspapers. In this way, people remain informed about
the working and efficiency of their democratic representatives.
 Newspapers and journals usually enjoy great liberty in democratic
countries. That’s why they freely give comments on problems faced
by people, government’s efficiency, national and social issues.

Nevertheless, in the present self-centred world, unfortunately, newspapers

do not formulate their policies on the principles of impartiality and
neutrality. Every newspaper has sympathies and considerations for some
political parties. Frequently, newspapers publish that news prominently
which are beneficial for their political parties, and avoid publishing that
news which is harmful for their political interests.

And according to Paul Eldridge

“In the spider web of facts, many a truth is strangled”

That’s why scholars and researchers do not get influenced by the

propaganda made by newspapers. However, common people can get
influenced by the propaganda of newspapers.

As stated above press plays a vital role in the formation of Public Opinion.
Press also plays a significant function in conveying people’s wishes and
aspirations to the democratic governments. In fact with the help of press
people can keep a check on the governments. Therefore, it is extremely
important to control and discipline the press.
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To make press disciplined and efficient the following postulates can prove
useful and helpful.

1. Governments must put fewer restrictions on the press.

2. Governments must introduce new ways of communication,
correspondence and antitrust law to make the press more efficient.
3. Press should also publish concepts and news wholeheartedly which
do not agree with their views and thoughts. That is a concept of
toleration and open-mindedness must be introduced in press.
4. Workers of the press should be made efficient, honest and dutiful.
5. Press should always show strong moral convictions.

RADIO, TELEVISION AND CINEMA

Latest broadcasting methods are also an important way of conveying news

and information. They play a pivotal role in the formation of Public
Opinion. Millions of people listen and watch news along with
confrontations by broadcasting methods. Through radio and TV, people
evaluate the speeches of their leaders and political experts. In this way, they
know the working and efficiency of various political parties. Therefore,
broadcasting methods are very important in influencing political opinion.

Film is also an important method of edifying people. Therefore, to turn

Public Opinion in their favourite political parties make documented movies
and convey their political agenda and performance to the people. Thus, the
film is an important method of influencing and formation of Public
Opinion.

The use of media, in the analysis of speeches and conversations by politicians

and those that are trying to influence the political process and Public
Opinion, is called Political Communication.

POLITICAL PARTIES

Propagandism is an effective and useful technique which political parties

adopt in winning over Public Opinion.
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To make their political agenda and charter popular in the people, political
parties use literature, newspapers, journals and other modes of conveying
information and news to the people of a country.

Political parties frequently criticize each other, in this way they help people
in realizing the veracity. Political parties explain complex issues in the
simplest forms to the people. In this way, an ambience of debate and
discussion gets created and common people start to have an opinion
regarding various national, political, social and economical issues.

Here it is important to mention that in the formation of Public Opinion

political parties have an edge over the press. For example, President
Franklin Roosevelt was elected as president for the fourth term against the
wishes of the press. For his great success president’s political party had
formed the necessary Public Opinion.

EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

Educational institutions also help in the formation and influencing of

Public Opinion. And the concepts and ideas formed in educational
institutions are everlasting.

PARLIAMENT

In democratic countries, the most excellent way of creating Public Opinion

is debate and discussion of democratic representatives in the parliament
and senate. As democratic representatives act as a link between people and
the government, therefore their speeches highlight the important national,
social and economical realities which many people are unaware of.

In the end, people also form Public Opinion based on their inspections and
observations. They frequently deal with institutions of health, education,
police, postal services, electricity and telecommunications. The good and
efficient working of these institutions strongly represents the efficiency and
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good governance of governments. People also frequently discuss the rise

and fall of prices; therefore inflation plays an important role in the
formation of Public Opinion regarding governments.

It is also important to bear in mind that social values, traditions and

customs also play a significant role in the formation of Public Opinion.

Democracy is a system where voices, beliefs and opinions of people are

always of supreme importance. Consequently, Public Opinion and true
democracy are closely related and are essential for each other’s survival.
Permanence and immortality of true democracy strongly relies upon an
effective Public Opinion which is especially formed by studying and
analyzing the facts and truths.

Therefore, the constitution of a democratic country must have the

following articles to form true and effective Public Opinion.

 Democratic governments must understand that people have an

opinion, therefore it’s important to convey the news and information.
So that they form an opinion on the national, social and economical
issues of the country.
 Democratic governments must regard Public Opinion as a force by
which people can reach ultimate conclusions.
 Democratic governments must give its people the right to express
their opinion without any fear and trepidation in the elections and
other national, political, social and economical issues.
 Democratic governments must create an ambience of debate and
discussion so that people outline their opinion easily.
 Democratic governments must educate their people so that they have
necessary intuition to understand the national, social, political and
economical issues of the country. As ignorant and dull always remain
unable to understand the perplex issues. Moreover, ignorant people
can be easily misguided by propagandists.
 Democratic governments must destroy the religious, racial and
parochial differences among the people. As it is extremely important
to have one opinion regarding important national, social, political
and economical issues.
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 Democratic governments must give liberty to press and media. So

that they play their role in the formation of an effective and true
Public Opinion.

This essay concludes that by forming an effective Public Opinion we can

convey news, information and truth to the people. Moreover, a nation can
achieve strength and harmony by an effective and true Public Opinion.
Furthermore, for the proper functioning of democracy, we need to form
Public Opinion in a disciplined, intelligent and truthful way, as true
democracy relies upon the voices, beliefs and opinions of people.

(The End)