The United States government is what is known as a constitutional republic, meaning that citizens, rather than representing themselves individually, vote for legal representatives who act on their behalf. While the ideal version of this system would lead to candidates “of the people, by the people and for the people,” it often becomes necessary for voters to communicate with their chosen representatives to tell them exactly what they want. Want. By allowing citizens to play a role in their government's actions, the possibility of a tyrannical government decreases and public knowledge also increases. While there are certainly weaknesses in a system where public opinion matters in politics, the advantages cannot be ignored. The question then becomes how people can best send their message to the government and how the government should interpret this information when making decisions. As a basic definition, public opinion is the set of beliefs and ideals of groups of people about certain issues that are relevant to government. This concept is measured through a series of traits that measure importance, susceptibility to change, intensity and direction. One of the most common ways to ascertain public opinion is to take a poll. A survey occurs when a small group of people, representing a larger group, are asked for their opinion on an issue or event. However, since the question does not concern the entire population, the survey can easily be distorted. To counter this, political scientists often use a random sample, allowing each member of the population an equal chance of being chosen. Despite these attempts to improve survey accuracy, surveys are susceptible to a number of errors. The most common of which is a sample... middle of paper... ief to their elected leaders. To ignore the vital role the public plays in decision-making is to ignore the very institution of a democracy. Representatives recognized the incredible power wielded by the public and, as a result, developed the permanent campaign system, in which they constantly listen and respond to the will of their constituents. It's important to understand that the audience has a say, but it's even more important to understand what they're saying. By studying political participation, the way people vote, the rallies they attend, the organizations they boycott, and the speakers they gather around, political analysts can better gauge the public mood and respond according to the will and desires of this conglomerate mass of individuals. which collectively form the United States of America.