Elites and Public Opinion: Analysing the Interaction of Public Opinion, Policy-Making and Party Strategy

Abstract

Policy makers in most democracies make extensive use of public opinion research (Belot 2012; Druckman & Jacobs 2015). Yet, the popularity of government leaders has never been so low and a growing number of studies identify a “crisis of representation”, rooted in citizens’ impressions that the representatives do not sufficiently take their expectations into account (Torcal & Montero 2006). However, Blondiaux’s (1998) observation of a lack of “serious empirical analyses” on how political actors use opinion research remains relevant today (Belot & Schnatterer 2021). To explore the questions raised by political elites‘ use of public opinion research, we are inviting proposals linked to three lines of inquiry: The production of public opinion research, representational practises and selective responsiveness: ▪️ The production of opinion research: What research do individual policy makers, governments and parties commission? Which actors are involved in the process of commissioning and designing of research projects? ▪️ Representational practises: Are political elites more likely to respond to the electoral incentives identified in polling? Is the information used to assist political elites in responding to voters’ preferences or as a tool for manipulating opinion? ▪️ Selective responsiveness: Are policymakers more responsive to the preferences of the median voter or to the preferences of their own supporters? Studies have also shown that certain "target groups" can be "better represented" than others leading to unequal representation. Proposals may evoke other research themes pertaining to the production and use of public opinion as well as methodological questions around strategies to access information around such research.

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