According to Speier, public opinion can be defined as “an expression of the attitude of a significant part of the population on matters of general concern.

Assignment Instructions:

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It is an article of faith that democracies represent the will of the populace, and therefore must be cognizant of public opinion. But this was not always the case. Before the Enlightenment (18th century) sovereigns believed that they ruled by divine will, not popular will. The signing of Magna Carta in 1215 had confirmed the principle that royalty were subject to some constraint (the opinion of other landed aristocrats). However, the next step, the idea that nations must operate according to a social contract between the governed and the government, would take another 500 years to take hold.
Attending theaters, living in urban areas, going to coffee houses, and reading newspapers all helped to give people the sense that they were part of “a public.” Wealth and education provided the public with more opportunity to congregate and more ideas to talk about. As Europe gained a middle class who participated in discussion of current affairs, governments began to listen to them more. At first this involved domestic affairs, then foreign affairs. The article below goes into more detail about the way public opinion emerged and became one of the cornerstones of modernity.
Read the information in the following article:
Speier, H. (1950). Historical Development of Public Opinion,American Journal of Sociology, 55, 4. 376-388
http://www.jstor.org/stable/2772299?&seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents
Answer the following questions:
1. How does Speier define public opinion?
2. Until the French Revolution writers feared that the public at large were unreliable due to superstition, prejudice, and excess passion. Who did earlier writers believe was likely to hold reasonable opinions?
3. What does Speier mean when he says that “Public opinion is a phenomenon of middle-class civilization”?
4. What new ways to circulate information helped the new middle class learn about current affairs?
– Answer the questions clearly, using full sentences with correct grammar and spelling.
– Write one or two paragraphs on each question.

How To Work On This Assignment(Example Draft/Essay)

In his article, “Historical Development of Public Opinion,” Speier defines public opinion as “an expression of the attitude of a significant part of the population on matters of general concern.” This definition emphasizes that public opinion is not simply the sum of individual opinions, but rather a collective force that can shape the actions of governments and other powerful actors. Speier notes that public opinion is shaped by a range of factors, including social and economic conditions, the media, and political leaders.

Before the French Revolution, writers and thinkers believed that the general public was not capable of holding reasonable opinions due to their alleged susceptibility to superstition, prejudice, and irrational passions. Instead, these writers believed that only the educated elites – the “enlightened” few – could be trusted to form opinions based on reason and evidence. However, as Speier points out, this view began to change in the 18th century as the middle class gained education, wealth, and leisure time, leading to a broader participation in public affairs and the emergence of new forms of communication that allowed for a wider dissemination of information and ideas.

Speier argues that public opinion is a phenomenon of middle-class civilization because it was the middle class who first gained the education, wealth, and leisure time necessary to participate in public affairs and to shape public opinion. The rise of the middle class was facilitated by the growth of new forms of communication, such as newspapers, coffee houses, and theaters, which allowed for the dissemination of information and ideas among a wider audience. As more people gained access to education and information, they became more politically aware and engaged, leading to the emergence of new political movements and ideologies, such as liberalism and democracy, which sought to empower the people and to establish governments that were accountable to their citizens.

The growth of new forms of communication, particularly newspapers, played a crucial role in shaping public opinion by reporting on current events, analyzing political issues, and providing a forum for debate and discussion. The middle class gained more opportunities to congregate and discuss current affairs, which led to greater political awareness and engagement. As a result, governments began to listen to the public’s opinions more and more, at first regarding domestic affairs and later extending to foreign affairs. This new way of circulating information helped the new middle class learn about current affairs, sparking political change and helping to shape the modern world.