What is public opinion and why is it important? In this lecture from Purdue University's "American Government" course, Prof. Joshua Scacco explores this complex subject. He defines public opinion as the collective stance on political matters and then describes the different types of publics, including the attentive public, which follows politics and government affairs, and ""issue publics,"" which follow specific policy topics. Furthermore, he investigates the distinct challenges presented when attempting to accurately gauge public opinion through polling, considering factors such as general lack of interest, low levels of political knowledge, and the fluctuating nature of opinions. The video concludes with a discussion of the four view on public opinion: majority rule, opinion equality, group debate, and elite-directed opinion.

This video is part of Professor Robert Browning and Joshua Scacco's series on "American Government." Visit online.purdue.edu to explore how you can enroll in courses such as this from Purdue University Online.

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