Public Opinion Dynamics and the Role of Opinion Leaders

Public Opinion and Social Catalysts

Spain supported the United States and sent its troops. Once the invasion of Iraq started, mass protests disappeared. People have more opinions and are able to form them much more rapidly with respect to the objectives than the methods needed to achieve them.

According to polls, there is strong public opinion in favor of improving the quality of public education. However, there is no agreement on how to achieve it. One group argues that you have to pay higher salaries to teachers; others advocate for a significant tax increase to finance the improvement. A third group urges that more stringent standards be established, such as the No Child Left Behind act. These three, plus other groups with different positions, shape public opinion on the subject.

The Role of Opinion Leaders

Opinion leaders act as catalysts. Public opinion on an issue or question may have its roots in self-interest or in events, but the main catalyst is public debate. Only in this way does a view begin to crystallize so that it can be measured by polls (encuestas). Leadership acts as a catalyst for the formation of public opinion on determined (determinadas) issues. These people are known as opinion leaders.

Sociologists describe them as:

• Very interested in the subject.
• More informed than the average person.
• Avid consumers of media.
• Early adopters of new ideas.
• Good organizers who can make people act.

Types of Traditional Leaders

Sociologists have identified two types of leaders. First, there are formal opinion leaders, so called because of their positions—for example, elected officials, CEOs, or presidents of associations. Often, journalists ask for their opinions on issues affecting their area of activity or responsibility. These people, who have formal leadership, are also known as power leaders.

Second are the informal opinion leaders, who have power over their followers due to a peculiar feature. They can serve as role models, being admired and imitated, or as opinion leaders who put pressure on their counterparts to take action. In general, informal opinion leaders exert influence over their peers; they are very knowledgeable, highly organized, and enjoy great credibility. A survey of 20,000 Americans conducted by the IIOP Organization revealed that only between ten to twelve percent of the general public are leaders.