public opinion
The masses' view
Public opinion is the collective views or attitudes of a population on a given issue.
Politicians claim to follow it, polls attempt to measure it, and media coverage shapes it.
The term implies a unified sentiment, though in practice public opinion is often divided or contradictory: Public opinion turned against the war.
The court of public opinion refers to judgment by the general populace rather than formal institutions.
Over half of total
- agreementShared position between parties
- unanimityComplete group agreement
- accordHarmony between parties
- convergenceProcess of approaching sameness
solidarity · like-mindedness · concurrence · alignment · mandate · groundswell · common ground · social cohesion
Systematic opinion gathering
- surveySystematic data collection
- questionnaireFormal inquiry form
- samplingExtracting subset for study
- statisticsCollected numerical information
respondents · Gallup · margin of error · focus group · exit poll · approval rating · tracking poll · favorability
Structured belief framework
- convictionFirmly held belief
- viewpointWay of seeing things
- stanceStanding posture or viewpoint
- perspectiveAttitude or spatial rendering
doctrine · philosophy · worldview · values · attitudes · assumptions · principles · popular belief
Advocating to decision-makers
- propagandaBiased information for influence
- mediaInformation distribution channels
- campaignsOrganized efforts toward goals
- advertisingPaid promotional communication
persuasion · manipulation · rhetoric · spin · framing · agenda-setting · narrative · echo chamber
Settled way of thinking
- feelingSensed inner state
- moodPrevailing emotional condition
- reactionResponse to stimulus
- outlookAttitude toward the future
sympathy · bias · prejudice · apathy · enthusiasm · indifference · skepticism · outrage
majority
Over half of total
- agreementShared position between parties
- unanimityComplete group agreement
- accordHarmony between parties
convergence · solidarity · like-mindedness · concurrence · alignment · mandate · groundswell · common ground · social cohesion · collective agreement
polling
Systematic opinion gathering
- surveySystematic data collection
- questionnaireFormal inquiry form
- samplingExtracting subset for study
statistics · respondents · Gallup · margin of error · focus group · exit poll · approval rating · tracking poll · favorability · cross-tabulation
ideology
Structured belief framework
- convictionFirmly held belief
- viewpointWay of seeing things
- stanceStanding posture or viewpoint
perspective · doctrine · philosophy · worldview · values · attitudes · assumptions · principles · popular belief · conventional wisdom
lobbying
Advocating to decision-makers
- propagandaBiased information for influence
- mediaInformation distribution channels
- campaignsOrganized efforts toward goals
advertising · persuasion · manipulation · rhetoric · spin · framing · agenda-setting · narrative · echo chamber · pundits
attitude
Settled way of thinking
outlook · sympathy · bias · prejudice · apathy · enthusiasm · indifference · skepticism · outrage · backlash
- Public Knowledgescience literacy, health literacy, media literacy, awareness campaigns, outreach
- media theoryagenda setting, gatekeeping, framing, hypodermic needle, magic bullet
- politicsdemocracy, campaigning, campaigns, democrats, bill
- social sciencessociology, anthropology, psychology, economics, political science
- Presidential Electionsballot, ballot box, electoral votes, popular vote, voter turnout
- public affairspolitics, election, campaign, polling, poll
public, opinion, opinions, publication, publishing, publicize, opinionated, publisher, publicly