Seeking a public opinion of substance
Seeking a public opinion of substance
- March 9, 2010
- An op-ed by Kevin O'Leary, CSD visiting research fellow, is featured in the LA Times March 9, 2010
From the Times:
The designers of the Constitution were a literate bunch of Enlightenment thinkers. They lived in the time of the printed word and the close argument. We, on the other hand, live in the age of YouTube, talk radio, reality TV, cable news and the 30-second attack ad. A constant barrage of public opinion polls -- Gallup, Zogby, NBC News/Wall Street Journal, New York Times/CBS News -- tells us what we think. Well, maybe. On big issues -- what should California do to balance its books and avoid insolvency, for example -- it is important that the public weigh in. But if public knowledge is only skin deep, asking Californians what they want to do is similar to asking your 8-year-old to help drive the winding mountain road to Yosemite National Park. Neither they nor he know how.
For the full story, please visit http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-oleary8-2010mar08,0....
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