Ambivalent Attitudes toward Public Opinion

AbstractThe chapter explores the general attitudes Belgian politicians hold with regard to public opinion. It finds that politicians’ feelings vis-à-vis public opinion are characterized by ambivalence. On the one hand, the principled attitude of many politicians is one of reluctance to follow public opinion. Averse to anything that resembles populism, politicians declare in great numbers to operate independently from public opinion and to act as “trustees,” following their own convictions instead of public opinion. On the other hand, though, the chapter testifies that politicians think that reading public opinion is a core part of their job. They find it crucially important, not only out of electoral necessity but also because they consider it their duty to know what the people want. Despite declaring in great numbers that ideology ought to trump public opinion as a driver of their actions, Belgian politicians are strongly committed to public opinion.