Public Opinion - Not In My Name

Obviously elections are the main way to guage public opinion, although given the normal low turnout, I'm not at all sure that is a true reflection.

Lobbying & Interest Groups are not a valid way to do it. They are remarkably unrepresentative of public opinion according to research. 

The Media - television, radio, newspapers & magazines, is supposed to have it's finger on the pulse of public opinion. They also help determine the political agenda. With the advent of smart phones & universal use of computers, interaction between the media & the public has increased hugely. The public use of letters & phone calls is far less now. Social Media is an instantaneous way to see what is trending & what consensus is emerging.

Protests, often involving huge numbers of people, seem to be becoming a regular way of understanding public mood. The problem is that mass protests sometimes result in group / mob mentality, leading to heightened emotional states - excitement, anger, hostility, etc. They are indicators of citizens dissatisfaction with government policies though.

Straw polls are a compromise between formal and informal methodologies. They are not as valid as opinion polls, because of minimal concern for the validity of the results.

Formal methodologies for measuring public opinion are usually classified into quantitative and qualitative approaches. They are more systematic ways of ascertaining public opinion & are likely to be conducted by scholars who understand their proper uses, & who are less likely than politicians or non-scholars to misuse them or misinterpret them.

Focus Groups are used by businesses in market research every day. They are also used by political candidates regularly. They are seldom used by academic researchers.

I definitely belong to various "interest groups" & I do lobby a lot & support various charities dealing with the Climate Emergency & Humanitarian Issues. I have quite strong beliefs in fairness & equality. I am deeply concerned about pollution & climate issues. My concern is that I increasingly believe that although there are huge numbers of people who think along the lines that I do, our voices are not being heard & the action we want is not being taken by governments. 

Much is happening here & now that I cannot support. Decisions are being taken that I would not vote for. Politicians are in charge who put their own power & self interest before what is necessary for the future of humanity & the planet. 

The world is moving rapidly in a direction that is "Not In My Name". The LSE has an intersting research project running until 2027 looking at this concept -  https://www.lse.ac.uk/cpnss/research/not-in-my-name  

Our world is very unstable. Making the right decisions & taking appropriate action is vital. We will be judged. But what will our world be like when that judgement happens?