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At times it can feel like public opinion does not matter in U.S. politics. When the U.S. Congress or state legislatures ignore issues that have broad public support, there seems to be a glaring gap between what people want and what politicians will deliver.
But in due course, public opinion does sway elected officials, according to MIT political scientist Devin Caughey. Indeed, Caughey’s work has shown that at the state level in the U.S. over the last several decades, government policies have followed public views often incrementally, but consistently.
“Over the long term, policymaking tends to be responsive to public opinion and move into alignment with what the public wants,” says Caughey. That has become more apparent due to innovative research Caughey and his colleagues have performed while using thousands of public-opinion opinion surveys from the 1930s onward.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
At times it can feel like public opinion does not matter in U.S. politics. When the U.S. Congress or state legislatures ignore issues that have broad public support, there seems to be a glaring gap between what people want and what politicians will deliver.
But in due course, public opinion does sway elected officials, according to MIT political scientist Devin Caughey. Indeed, Caughey’s work has shown that at the state level in the U.S. over the last several decades, government policies have followed public views – often incrementally, but consistently.
“Over the long term, policymaking tends to be responsive to public opinion and move into alignment with what the public wants,” says Caughey. That has become more apparent due to innovative research Caughey and his colleagues have performed while using thousands of public-opinion opinion surveys from the 1930s onward.
Voiceless Media profiles Dr. Hafiz Bin Salih, Upper West Regional Minister LISTEN
FEB 19, 2021
Dr. Hafiz Bin Salih is a widely read figure, who has been able to harness remarkable knowledge in the areas Social Administration, Educational Leadership, and Conflict Resolution.
Dr. Hafiz is also a renowned Development Specialist with over twenty-four (24) years relentless working experience with the Ghana Education Service.
Hafiz Bin Salih has strong skills in teaching, management, conflict resolution, strategic thinking, advocacy, supervision, communication and planning. He is an expert at continuously improving procedures and outcomes, by constantly evaluating the work being undertaken and looking for ways to make things more efficient.
The Social Order
Inside Higher Ed reported that “Some college leaders quickly cracked down on students and faculty voicing support for rioters who attacked the U.S. Capitol. Others walked a fine line between protecting free speech rights and tamping down incendiary language.” Note well that what was cracked down upon was “support.”
These colleges and universities are not alone.
New York applauded the recent decision of the Institute of Politics at Harvard’s Kennedy School to kick Representative Elise Stefanik off its advisory board because she “repeated Trump’s lies about election fraud.” The ivory tower, it argued, “can no longer pretend that ideology and partisan affiliation do not matter.” The American Political Science Association was recently forced to apologize for including in its Statement on the Insurrection at the U.S. Capitol support for “efforts to begin reconciliation . . . including agreement by both sides” to work together. In a rapidly expa