What are the main elements of public opinion?

The main elements of public opinion include direction, stability, intensity, and salience.

Direction refers to the general tendency of public opinion regarding a particular issue, indicating whether it leans positive, negative, or neutral. Stability is concerned with how consistent public opinion is over time; if opinions frequently change, they lack stability. Intensity measures how strongly individuals feel about a specific opinion or issue, reflecting the depth of their beliefs or feelings. Lastly, salience refers to the importance or relevance of an issue to respondents at a given time, determining how prominently that issue figures in public discourse.

Understanding these elements helps to clarify how public opinion is shaped and understood in the political landscape, emphasizing the complexity and dynamics of citizen attitudes and behaviors towards various political matters.