An opinion is a expression of views, feelings, attiude about an issue by a significant number of people. Public opinion could be group personal or public.
Floyd allport said public opinion IS A MULTI INDIVIDUAL SITUATION in which individuals are expressing themselves or can be called upon to express themselves as favouring or opposing some definite conditions, personal proposal of wide spread importance is sucha a proportion of number, intensity and constancy as to give rise to the probablility opf affecting action directly or indirectly towards subject concerned.

Bernard hennessy defined p.o as the complex of preferences expressed by the significant number of persons on an issue of general importance.

Presence of an issue
Significant number of people
Expression of the opinion
Controversy
Nature of publics
Consistency and constancy

Alcuin Albinos was of the opinion that people are the ultimate source of justice. It sis the people that must decide what is just and what is not,
Nicholo marchiavelli italian philosopher says that the monarch or the king of any nation should listen to 6the opinion of the people i.e freedom of expression.
Jean Jacque rosseau he authored the book social contract and a French philosopher known to the theory of general will. Only genral will can direct the affairs or power of a state tpwards the benefit of all.
Jacque necker the father of public opinion says that ideas, norms or feelings should be from elites alone.
Alexis De Toqueville he invented the concept of tyrammy of the majority. He say democracy is good but we must watch it carefully because I can lead to oppression of he minority

SEMI MODSERN THEORIES
EDWARD A ROSS “social control” believes public relation is an instrument of social control. Ceratin constraints may be imposed in a society diversifying forces but public opinion is required to such contraints

FERDINARD TOENNIES (1855-1936)
Classified society into two.
Old society bond by customs, tradirion and culture
N ew society bound by laws and norms
Categories of opinion
Solid
Liquid
Gaseous

JOSE ORTEGA GASSET 1893-1955
The elites who constitute the minority and are creative should be allowed to rule. The society is made up of two categories of people, the minorirties and masses.

WAER LIPPMAN 1889-1974
What people carry about in thneir head is the picture of rweality , not reality itself. He opined that both the \opinion of the masses and melites should be considered.
FACTORS AFFECTING P>O

Education
Family
Ethnic background
Socio economic satus
Religion
Government
Mass media
Demography.

FORMATION OF P.O
Birth stage
Leadership satege
Intergruop
Sampling
Adjustment
Desolution

STEPS IN SURVE REASAECH
Statement of information desired
Identification of population
Smple size(uota control, area random)
Construction of questionnaire
Recruitment and training of interviewers
Field work
Processing and analysis of data.