American Government › Section F · Public opinion › Topic F.4
The effects of public opinion
Polls are everywhere, but does government actually follow them? The answer differs for campaigns, presidents, Congress and the courts, and it depends on what kind of representation we think officials owe the people.
In this topic
- Should officials follow opinion?
- Worked example: trustee or delegate?
- Polls and campaigns
- Horse-race coverage
- Exit polls and early calls
- Worked example: the 1980 early call
- Presidents and opinion
- Congress and dynamic representation
- The courts and public opinion
- Policy mood and the thermostat
- Common mistakes to avoid
- Key takeaways
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