Tentative Measurement of Public Opinion or Opinion Polls

All modem governments seek to measure public opinion. Purposes ncveral. The main purpose is to enable the governments to formulate domestic and foreign policies on the issue confronting them or their nli ies in the light of the opinion polls results. It is particularly true of Jcratic governments. They should measure public opinion in advance elections lest they should suffer defeat at the elections.

The non- ocratic governments also do so for the purpose of controlling or ding’ public opinion. In democratic countries even political parties and leaders measure public opinion in order to anticipate the results of the next elections. Moreover, both in democracy and dictatorship, their enemies or opponents, especially foreign governments and parties carefully study public opinion polls with a view to judge and influence the chances or likelihood of opposition, revolt or revolution in the target States Furthermore, newspapers, magazines, pressure or interest groups and academicians like the professors of Political Science, statisticians, researcher.1, and propagandists of all colour and hue try to measure public opinion in their own and foreign countries.

Lastly, commercial firms, corporations, banks and marketing societies and associations also study and measure public opinion for marketing their goods, to judge consumer preferences and for other commercial purposes.

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