U.S. Public opinion versus institutional implementation

August 13, 2012 1:05 PM

What are some contemporary examples of significant discrepancies between policy, the platforms of the major parties, and public opinion, as reflected by polls, in the United States?
posted by phrontist to law & government (4 answers total)

Marijuana legalization
posted by ghharr at 1:13 PM on August 13, 2012 [2 favorites]

"Earlier this year focus groups given an accurate description of Romney’s policy proposals refused to believe that any politician would take such a position."

(The linked article does not provide details of the policies or the reasons for the focus groups' reactions, but you may be able to chase them down from there.)
posted by alms at 1:17 PM on August 13, 2012 [1 favorite]

"Get your government out of my Medicare" -- the GOP election strategy for the 2010 mid-terms leaned strongly on the prospect of Medicare cuts even as Paul Ryan's "Roadmap" proposed a complete overhaul of the system. I'll link to a Krugman op-ed, which obviously takes a partisan line on that strategy, but that shouldn't mask the discrepancy between a GOP political establishment that seeks to rewrite the basis of older people's healthcare and a GOP-leaning demographic that trends older, is anti "big government", but which very much likes its Medicare benefits.
posted by holgate at 1:19 PM on August 13, 2012

A significant portion of each party (22 percent of Republicans and 34 percent of Democrats, in this poll), disagrees with their own party's position on abortion.
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 1:23 PM on August 13, 2012