•Candidates who win an election are said to have a mandate, or a command from the electorate, to carry out campaign promises. In reality, however, election results are seldom an accurate measure of public opinion.
Interest Groups
•Interest groups are private organizations whose members share certain views and work to shape public policy. Interest groups are a chief means by which public opinion is made known.
•Try to get people to respond to their shared attitudes
The Media
•The media are frequently described as “mirrors” as well as “molders” of opinion.
Public opinion is best measured by public opinion polls, devices that attempt to collect information about attitudes and viewpoints by asking people questions.
Straw Votes
•A straw vote is a method of polling that seeks to read the public’s mind simply by asking the same question of a large number of people.
•The straw-vote technique is highly unreliable, however.
Scientific Polling
There are now more than 1,000 national and regional polling organizations in this country, with at least 200 of these polling political preferences.