Public Opinion and Judgement

In a democracy, public participation is essential. Democracy is based on the concept of public will. The society will accept some candidates or parties as “good” or “bad”, and vote accordingly. This notion of suitability of candidates comes from Public Opinion. Public Opinion is the consensus among people about a topic/issue. If there is an important matter that people have an opinion about, and their opinions are similar, then the opinion is called a Public Opinion. A good example might be “Company X is evil because they put harmful chemicals in their products.”

Before the Enlightenment and the print revolution, not everyone had an opinion that was heard. The opinions of the aristocrats and the educated classes were the ruling opinions that were applied to everyone else. Coffee-houses and royal libraries were the only place of discussions and debates. Yet, as society evolved, the commoners started educating themselves and became aware. Education eventually became a necessity. The aristocrats’ will started fading in the face of the larger and stronger middle class. This led to the emergence of public opinion.

Democracy is when people become aware of what is right and wrong for them. Hence,  public opinion is formed after deliberation and reflection. Revolutions and opposition occur on a common consensus for change. People hold beliefs and fight for them. In the past, governments conformed to public opinion, as infamous kings were replaced with republics. And equality was maintained in a divided society. Power no longer came from money and royalty; it came from people.

Public opinion was formed and propagated by newspapers and books. The scenario truly changed with mass media. Radio and television were able to propagate more ideas to a larger number of people. News was instantly available and everyone could consume more in less time. Media became the basis of public opinion. Tabloid newspapers and news channels started to push an image in people’s minds. Public opinion was in danger because misinformation and illogical thinking would lead to broken mindsets.

Public opinion ended up becoming fickle. Today, it resembles a herd mentality, rather than a well-thought proposition. Sensational news and misinformation form more opinions than logical thinking. Hence a difference arises between public opinion and public judgement. Public opinion is fickle, unstable and emotive. Public judgement is logical, stable and reflective.

Public judgement is an enhanced form of public opinion that carefully considers the nuances of an issue. It is not based on flashy headlines and hearsay, but rather on facts and deep understanding. In modern governance, every politician is solely focused on forming a good public opinion. It is achieved by positive coverage in the news, a constant barrage of advertising, fancy promises and appeal to emotion.

This approach is highly volatile. For one, we know that upholding a good image is never permanent. And swaying the emotions of the people can lead to unstable policies. You never know when people will lose their interest in you. This leads to a system that is apparently democratic, but in reality, it is based on an opinion that is induced in people, not one that comes naturally from them.

Opinions that arise immediately after a shocking event, fluctuate over time and show a narrow understanding of the topic are the signs of a flawed public opinion. However, opinions that are sustained over time and show a deep understanding of any issue are the signs of good public judgement. If we, the people, are really the source of power of the government, then we must identify our flaws first. We need to know that the opinions we have affect the larger society. And our opinions may be the difference between a ruined or a prosperous government.

(Abdullah bin Zubair  is a student of Humanities at DPS Srinagar)