Public Opinion: Crash Course Government and Politics #33

Summary

In this Crash Course Government and Politics episode, Craig explores the concept of politics versus government. While government covers the structures and processes of policy-making, politics focuses on the reasons behind them. The discussion delves into public opinion, its significance in a democracy, and how it's measured through polling. The video addresses challenges like public ignorance, rational ignorance, and selection bias in polls. Craig also compares public opinion to following sports and questions the extent to which politicians should heed public opinion, highlighting the complexity of translating public desires into actual policies.

Takeaways

• 🔹 Politics and government are distinct; politics is about the why, while government is about the what, who, and how of policies.
• 🔹 Public opinion refers to how a nation's population collectively views vital policy issues and evaluates political leaders.
• 🔹 In a democracy like the U.S., public opinion matters because the government is meant to be of, by, and for the people.
• 🔹 The framers of the Constitution were skeptical of the average American's ability to influence policy, granting direct influence only over the House of Representatives.
• 🔹 Many political scientists believe the general public is often uninformed or uninterested in complex public issues, a concept called 'rational ignorance.'
• 🔹 Individual opinions can be changeable and random, but collective opinions tend to be more coherent and stable, reflecting reasonable judgments.
• 🔹 Public opinion needs to be effectively communicated to the government, and the government should respond accordingly.
• 🔹 Polling is a common way to gauge public opinion, but polls can be skewed by factors like sample size, selection bias, and question wording.
• 🔹 Politicians often use polls to shape their responses to issues rather than defining the issues themselves.
• 🔹 There are various ways for the public to express their opinions, including voting, polling, and other forms of communication, but these methods have their limitations and challenges.

Q & A

What is the primary focus of the discussion in this episode of Crash Course Government and Politics?

The primary focus of this episode is on politics rather than government, specifically discussing public opinion and its role in American democracy.

How does Craig distinguish between 'government' and 'politics'?

Craig explains that 'government' describes the what, who, and how of policies, while 'politics' describes the why behind them.

What is one way Craig likens following politics to following sports?

Craig likens following politics to sports by explaining that you can analyze and predict outcomes of political events, and afterwards, analyze why your predictions were correct or incorrect.

How does Craig define public opinion?

Craig defines public opinion as how a nation's population collectively views vital policy issues and evaluates political leaders.

Why does public opinion matter in a democracy like America?

Public opinion matters because America is a democracy, meaning it is ruled by the people, and the government is meant to be 'of the people, by the people, for the people.'

What skepticism did the framers of the Constitution have regarding public opinion?

The framers of the Constitution were skeptical of the average American's ability to understand and influence public policy, leading them to give direct influence over only the House of Representatives.

What does the concept of 'rational ignorance' suggest about public disengagement from politics?

The concept of 'rational ignorance' suggests that given the high cost of being informed, it makes sense for people to stay less informed about complicated public issues.

What argument do Benjamin Page and Robert Shapiro make in 'The Rational Public'?

Benjamin Page and Robert Shapiro argue that looking at collective opinion, rather than individual responses, shows that large groups of Americans have coherent and stable opinions that reflect reasonable judgments about politics.

What is Condorcet's Jury Theorem and how does it relate to public opinion?

Condorcet's Jury Theorem demonstrates that while one juror might have a slightly better chance than a coin flip of determining guilt or innocence, a larger group of jurors would likely get the case right. This idea relates to public opinion by suggesting that a larger group of voters collectively forms a rational public.

What are the three conditions Craig mentions that are necessary for public opinion to influence government effectively?

The three conditions are: 1) The people should know what they want, 2) The people should be able to communicate their desires to government officials, and 3) The government should pay attention to and respond to the public's desires.

How can selection bias affect the reliability of public opinion polls?

Selection bias can affect reliability if the polled sample is not representative of the population, such as being disproportionately wealthy, white, or any specific group, leading to skewed results.

Why might polls conducted by news organizations sometimes be unreliable?

Polls by news organizations can be unreliable due to selection bias, as they often rely on their audience, who are not randomly selected, and may reflect the demographics of the website's users.

What is one way that the wording of poll questions can influence the results?

The wording of questions can influence results by framing issues in a way that elicits a particular response, such as describing policies in a positive or negative light to sway opinions.