Government and Institutions

Public opinion now a key factor in policy making


Annabel Denham writes for The Spectator

In an op-ed for The Spectator, IEA Director of Communications, Annabel Denham, argued opinion polls are not the most accurate ways of understanding an individual’s desires or intentions and can often be wildly inaccurate. Instead, peoples behaviour is a key indicator of a person’s priorities.

Annabel argued that government policy has recently been heavily guided by  opinion polls, justifying ‘authoritarian’ remedies to the pandemic. This may be an inaccurate reflection of the British public’s attitude towards Covid.

Annabel said: “Public opinion and policymaking have developed a near-symbiotic relationship during this crisis, each influencing and validating the other. The Prime Minister’s failed attempt to circumvent self-isolation isn’t the only example of this“.

Read the full article here.



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