NCJ Number
114854
Journal
Criminal Justice Policy Review Volume: 2 Issue: 2 Dated: (June 1987) Pages: 118-132
Date Published
1987
Length
15 pages
Annotation
This article examines studies on the use of public opinion in the formulation of criminal justice policy by State government agencies.
Abstract
Although democratic political ideology suggests that government must be responsive to the people, the complexities of modern society complicate the determination of how best to assess and use public opinion in the policy process. This article addresses this issue by examining the results of a study that generated four databases: a national survey of 147 State government agencies; a random sample of 805 citizens located in a large, representative State; a survey of 31 interest groups; and a survey of 133 State legislators. The study demonstrates that although legislators and interest group representatives, in the aggregate, tend to hold opinions similar to those of the general public, their assessments of public opinion are often inaccurate. Government agency representatives who base their perceptions of public opinion on communication with elites may be receiving a distorted picture of public opinion. The public opinion poll, which has significant advantages, is an underused tool in State criminal justice policymaking. Such surveys can elicit unbiased and representative (though cross-sectional) sampling of opinion. 7 tables, 9 notes, 21-item bibliography. (Author abstract modified)