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7.6: Vox Populi, Vox Dei?

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    287290
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    Machines take inputs and convert them into outputs. The American political machine takes public opinion as its input and converts it into government policy. Americans tend to like this arrangement, at least in theory. To some, it seems like the most effective method of governing a country in a way that will please the populace. To others, it is a moral obligation, and it would still be the the right thing to do even if it weren’t particularly effective.

    Americans’ faith in democracy can be summed up by the Latin phrase vox populi, vox Dei: “The voice of the people is the voice of God.” We cite polling data on the popularity or unpopularity of politicians, parties, and policies with an air of finality, as though they were judgments issued from some almighty being. Whenever politicians pursue unpopular agendas over the public’s objections, there is a sense that our democracy is in some way being diminished.

    Of course, the will of the people is not almighty in America. Many crucial government decisions are made by political and legal experts, insulated from public influence. Often this is done for the public’s own benefit. After all, public opinion has many shortcomings. Our opinions are inconstant, changing with the times and not always for good reason. We are uninformed or underinformed on many important issues, and it shows: many government policies that were popular to begin with turned out unsuccessful or even disastrous. The principle of “garbage in, garbage out” warns us not to be surprised when the machine that is America produces shoddy outputs from poor-quality inputs.

    Thus, vox populi differs from vox Dei in at least two respects: the public is neither all-powerful nor all-knowing. As an indirect democracy, America is structured to channel the uninformed and fickle force that is public opinion into effective government action. It attempts to balance letting the people have a say in how they are ruled with trusting the judgment and expertise of government officials to occasionally go against the public’s wishes when circumstances call for it. How well it achieves this goal is — like so many things in American politics — a matter of opinion.


    7.6: Vox Populi, Vox Dei? is shared under a not declared license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by LibreTexts.

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