Although public opinion polls are often cited as evidence of the public s support for a particular issue, polling support does not necessarily mean that a constituency exists. On the contrary, a constituency is much more than voters supporting one issue at one particular point in time. Daniel Yankelovich of Public Agenda has described how the public s thinking and support on issues progresses through seven stages. It is only at the last stage that people s views are solid and held consistently.
People develop a sense of urgency about an issue.
People start to explore choices for dealing with the issue. Resistance to facing costs and trade-offs kicks in, producing wishful thinking. People weigh the pros and cons of alternatives. People take a stand intellectually. People make a responsible judgment morally and emotionally.