How Social Media Is Ruining Politics Links to an external site.

How Social Media Is Ruining Politics Links to an external site.

Public Opinion and the Media

Due to broader access to educational opportunities, many Americans people are now better educated than in the past (Berlon–Albeza, 2022). This leads to sophisticated views on issues and political efficacy. Political efficacy is one of America's leading concerns at the individual level. The general belief that the political system could be efficacious is declining, as many Americans think the system is corrupt and unfair (Huang, 2023). Consequently, political efficacy shapes voting behaviors and preferences at the aggregate level. Modern elections pose many challenges to scholars concerning politics and voter participation since many younger voters do not believe politics can be impactful (Huang, 2023). In order to improve democracy and favor political decision-making, it is crucial to restore belief in the political efficacy of democracy and understand how people could be inclined to vote. Due to the individual's thinking that the political system is unequal and could not better their lives, democracy could not survive given low knowledge levels among Americans over time.

Voting contributes to the sustainability of democracy as it is a vital civic duty that contributes to showing the people's will, thus offering legitimacy to the government (Elpers, 2023). Democratic government supports a keen adherence to conservative-market principles appealing across the income spectrum; thus, Democratic politician's alliances are bound to prejudice towards wealth, race, and immigrants. As a result, many Americans are unlikely to vote in a democratic regime due to political or personal interests. Many Americans may not be familiar with the voting issues or the candidates, hindering them from actively participating in elections. Voter participation is needed to ensure the government does not infringe on civil liberties, such as sealing up social media accounts (Elpers, 2023). Civic duty inclines the need for a government that is responsive to the people's interests. In this vein, voting is essential in achieving equality, justice, and human rights.

Public opinion is influenced by individuals' divergent attitudes, beliefs, actions, and preferences regarding particular issues or topics based on politics, economy, welfare, and general knowledge concerning the world (Auerbach, 2022). Voters developed such views at a personal level concerning the desired qualities of a political candidate or the issues that ought to be addressed in the community if they are to guide individual or electoral behaviors. In addition, public opinion reflects the views and reactions of social groups, families, or peers in their deliberations on particular political issues. Public opinion, on the other hand, does not fit the aggregate of all or majority views in its utmost extreme (Auerbach, 2022). In this consideration, some media content may blend multiple divergent opinions or insights on particular subjects. Therefore, Americans should understand the political discourse through questions of public opinion to acquire rational decision-making skills in politics or elections.

References

Auerbach, S. (2022). Public Opinion Definition. Available at: https://www.thoughtco.com/public-opinion-definition-104533

Berlon–Albeza, J. F. (2022). A new layer analysis on social media discourse of political trolls: A qualitative–quantitative study of PCO trolls on the eulogy for former President Fidel V. Ramos. Comunicar: Scientific Journal of Media Education, 30(70), 15–25. https://doi.org/10.3916/C70-2022-02

Elpers, N. T. (2023). Voter turnout as an indicator of the maturity of the Mexican democratic system. Panoeconomicus, 70(2), 185-203. http://doi.org/10.2298/PAN2302185E

Huang, R. (2023). Hope, Efficacy, and Happitism in in the BJP Era: Understanding the Evolving Precinct of Tabadi in Odisha. Asian survey, 63(3), 502-523.