Democracy and public opinion heading into the 2020 US elections

Authors

  • Nicole Tricarico Universidade Federal do Paraná
  • Theo Peixoto Scudellari Universidade Estadual Paulista

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5380/cg.v10i2.79488

Abstract

This article has as its central core the relations between the functioning of democracy and the public opinion place on it, with the American elections in 2020 as an outlook. Therefore, there is the central objective of understanding the main events that had a significant influence on the election, and, in this way, they were able to “mold” public opinion both for the vote itself and for the general conception of the main characteristics of democracy in the country. From this, it becomes possible to explore the main effects of public opinion - mainly in a polarized context such as that of the 2020 election in the USA - on the electoral process and democracy, understanding its main effects and implications. To achieve these objectives, Robert Dahl's works on democracy and its conceptualization are used, as well as scientific articles, reports, and journalistic articles for empirical bases on the contexts involved in the country for the elections. The analysis carried out and described in the following sections, therefore, contributes to the understanding of the intrinsic relationship between society and the democratic system in which it finds itself, as well as how phenomena influence the process of social mobilization and this, in turn, time, at the polls. Public opinion, therefore, is not only a factor with a media impact and is only based on the vote, but it also comprises a series of spheres that directly affect the pillars structured as the basis of democracy. 

Keywords: Democracy; Public Opinion; USA elections; Robert Dahl.

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Published

2021-10-20

How to Cite

Tricarico, N., & Peixoto Scudellari, T. (2021). Democracy and public opinion heading into the 2020 US elections. Conjuntura Global, 10(2). https://doi.org/10.5380/cg.v10i2.79488

Issue

Vol. 10 No. 2 (2021)

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Articles

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