The Role of Public Opinion in Policy Argument: An Examination of Public Opinion Rhetoric in the Federal Budget Process

Abstract

Public opinion plays a vital role in a democracy. Scholars have yet to explore how public opinion is constructed in policy argument in many significant policy areas. Through an examination of budget rhetoric over a three-year period, this study uncovers several argument patterns that incorporate public opinion. These patterns, in their totality, yield two major conclusions. First, public opinion arguments rarely surface in budget rhetoric. Second, in budget debates politicians construct a discursive conception of public opinion. The revealed relationship between public opinion and public argument has both helpful and harmful implications for the public sphere and democratic governance.