Observation

This was another popular question and many of the candidates who answered
it performed very well. They understood the demands of the question and scored good marks. However, those who scored low marks were ignorant of the roles played by public opinion in democratic governance. The candidates were expected to give the following points as their answers;

(a)       Public opinion is the sum total of views of a large section of people on a     public issue at a given time.

(b)        (i)         Public opinion checks the abuse of power by the government.
(ii)        Allows for political participation.
(iii)       Ensures accountability in governance;
(iv)       Serves as a feedback mechanism to government.;
(v)        Puts government on her toes.
(vi)       Help to determine legitimacy of government;
(vii)      Guides the government to know the needs/feelings of the people.
(viii)     Enhances political awareness/consciousness in a country.
(ix)       Facilitates in predicting the outcome of an election.
(x)        Guides the government in policy formulation and implementation.

            (xi)       Helps political parties in planning their campaign strategies