PUBLIC OPINION AND

PROPAGANDA
THE MEANING AND
NATURE OF
BUREAUCRACY

PUBLIC OPINION
AND
PROPAGANDA

Public Opinion
Historical Origin
Meaning
Methods Of Measuring Public
Opinion
Public Opinion in a
Dictatorship

Historical Origins
during the golden ages of Greece and the Roman Empire
Vox populi , Vox Dei the voice of the people is the
voice of God (Rodee, Anderson and Christol )
Machiavelli in his Discourses he compared the voice
of the people to the voice of God
It was in the 18th century that the phrase public
opinion was introduced in Western Europe
Jean Jacques Rousseau; 1st to use the phrase on the
eve of French Revolution

The Meaning Of Public Opinion

Public group of people who

share common interests
- described in terms of
geographical divisions
Opinion- belief that divisions
must be expressed in words or an
issue or proposition

The Meaning Of Public Opinion

Floyd Allport
a multi-individual situation in which
individuals are expressing themselves as
favoring or opposing some definite condition
person or proposal widespread importance,in
such a proportion of number, intensity, and
constancy, as to give rise to the probability
or affecting action, directly, or indirectly,
toward the subject concerned.

The Meaning Of Public

Opinion
Is the judgment, attitude and belief of a group of people at a
particular time and place.

Expression of attitudes of a certain group of people on a public

issue. Editorials and commentaries belong to this group.
Public opinion refers to the collective individual opinions of a
designated public concerning government and politics and public
policy.
Lawsons public opinion is an aggregate of individual opinions on
any issue, but found on examination to be varied and conflicting.
According to sociologists, is a group of people confronted by an
issue and who are divided in opinion about the issue. They discuss
it to express their views to form public opinion.
According to William Albig is the expression of all the members of
group who are giving attention in any way to a given issue

NOTE:
Public Opinion need not to
be the majoritys opinion
since the minority is also
part of the same public
discussing the same issue.

3 Aspects of Public Opinion

There must be an aggregate of persons
rather than a single individual to
express those opinions in a certain
public questions.
Opinion must be expressed or
communicated to others.
Public Opinion develops only when
there is an issue.

Methods of Measuring
Public Opinion
Public Opinion is Measured
Ballot
Public Opinion is Measured
Pressured Groups
Public Opinion is Measured
Contact With the Citizens
Public Opinion Is Measured
Opinion Polls

Through the
Through
Through Direct
Through

Dr. George Gallup defended public

opinion polls as-follows:
There are no indications that pollsters will dominate
legislators in their role of formulating and determining
public policy.
Polls uncover areas of ignorance in the electorate.
Polls serve as check to the power and influence of pressure
groups.
Polls assist administrative departments in making decisions.
Polls speed up the processes of democracy with reports on
public opinion.
Polls help define the
elections.

mandate of the people in national

Criticisms directed at public opinion

polls are as follows:
Public opinion polls represent an unwise attempt to move toward direct
democracy when in the complexities of modern government it is required
that solution of complex issues needs the flexibility of a
representative democracy;
The public has no opinion, and polling merely extracts from the
respondent a meaningless of yes, no, do not know or no comment;
Polls reduce the power of the legislature in its role of policymaking;
Polls always create a bandwagon effect (bandwagon is a technique of
convincing the subjects of propaganda to join the majority of people who
have accepted the viewpoint or product proposed by the propagandist).
Scientific polling devices does not offer always an accurate gauge of
the intensity of opinion, inasmuch as there is a danger that at the
moment a person is polled concerning political issue, he may not feel
very strongly about it, or has not made up his opinion about it .

Techniques for
ascertaining public
opinion
Analyze newspaper editorials and magazine
commentaries
Consider and determine the opinions of
radio commentators, public speakers,
television interviewees, educators and
others

Public Opinion by
Dictatorship
The decision-making power of the dictatorship is
located in a select group of the party.
It is the leader dictator who is the head of the
elite group.
Public opinion in the dictatorship is manufactured by
the governments propaganda machine which utilizes
all communications media to make it appear that this
so-called public opinion came from the people.
Dictatorships negate the principle of free discussion
of issues to form public opinion.

 Propaganda
Definition
Factors that Affect the
Techniques and Content of
Propaganda
The Techniques of Propaganda
Limitations of Propaganda

The term propaganda was derived from the name of

one of the units of the Catholic Church- the
Sacra Congregatio Christiano nomini propaganda
(the Sacred Congregation for the propaganda of
the Faith). This was created in the seventeenth
century, about 1650, for the purpose of educating
the priests.
Today, the term is used in one way or another by
modern societies in their activities to protect
and advance their interests by using all the
devices available and most of the methods of
persuasion known to propaganda experts to
influence opinion.

Propaganda Defined
Essentially a technique that manipulates the behavior
and influences the opinions of a number of
individuals by the use of words, persons, objects,
pictures, and others.
According to Rodee, Anderson and Cristol the process
consists of three factors:
the propagandists and his message
the technique and media used
the subjects exposed to the influence

Factors that Affect the Technique and

Content of Propaganda
The Status of the Propagandist.

(numbers, financial resources, internal

integration and control, goodwill and
prestige and access to channels of
communication)
The Propagandists Situation or Environment.
The Propagandist's Plan of Attack.

The techniques of
propaganda

Identification with emotionally charged symbols or

words
distortion by selection
distraction
big lie
According to the institute for Propaganda Analysis of
the USA, there are other techniques more commonly
used in the propaganda warfare:
Bandwagon, name calling, glittering generality,
testimonial, transfer, plain folks, card stacking

Limitations of
Propaganda
One of the limitation is that of
government censorship.
When citizens are possessed with alert
and inquiring minds in which case the
propagandists finds it difficult to
penetrate.
The propaganda is ineffective to existing
predispositions.

The Meaning and Nature of

Bureaucracy
a system of administration marked by constant driving or
increased functions and power, by lack of initiative and
flexibility, by indifference to human needs or public opinion
and by tendency to defer decisions to superiors or to impede
action with red tape.
the administration of government through departments and
subdivisions managed by set of officials following an
inflexible routine (Webster)
It is a formal structure which organizes and coordinates the
various functions of large number of individuals engaged in a
common activity
rationally organized structure designed for problem solving

The Need for Bureaucratic

Organizations

a.promotes
efficiency
b.improvement
c.time is saved

Major Functions of the Bureaucracy

The most important function is to carry out the decisions made by the political

leaders.

In addition to implementing, they are often involved in the policy making process itself
because of their expertise and access to information.

Since at the higher levels of the bureaucracy, these bureaucrats are administrators involved
in both policy and operational activities, their interpretation of general policy can and
does, in effect, redefine and modify the policy originally handed down from above.

Together with the police and the army, the civilian administrators are charged with the
maintenance of order.

Another important function is their administration and control of fiscal matters such as
taxes and bonds. They also manage state owned and operated enterprises such as electric
power, transportation, monopolies and special banks.

They also have regulatory control over private enterprises and corporations.

They insure the continuity of the governmental process because of their security of tenure.
Tenure or freedom from dismissal is an important feature of the government bureaucracy. Laws
have been written to protect the bureaucrats from unjust dismissal or dismissal without
cause.

Furthermore, the higher officials in the civil service are indispensable as links between
successive governments are repository of principles and practices that endure while
presidents and prime ministers come go.

The Development of Modern Bureaucracy

The concept of the modern bureaucracy was first expounded by the German sociologists Max Weber
when he put forth a theory of it, to quote him, the ideal official conducts his
office . . . . In a spirit of formalistic personality . . . .without hatred or passion and
hence without affection or enthusiasm.
The following characteristics are Webers idea of a bureaucracy:
1. Staff members are personally free serving only the impersonal duties.
2. There is clear hierarchy of offices.
3. The functions of the offices are clearly specified.
4. Officials are appointed an the basis of a contract.
5. They are selected on the basis of a professional qualification ideally substantiated by a
diploma and gained through an examination.
6. They have a money salary and usually a pension right.the salary is graded according to
position in the hierarchy.
7. Officials can always leave the post and the under certain circumstances it also may be
terminated. Officials post is his or her sole major occupation.
8. There is a career structure and promotion is possible either by seniority or merit according
to judgement of superiors.
9. The official may appropriate neither the post nor the resources that go with it.
10.The official is subject t a unified control and disciplinary system.

BUREAUCRACY IN THE PHILIPPINES

Beginnings of Philippine bureaucracy could be traced to the
Spanish period.
The American colonial administrators who came to take the place
of the Spaniards in the Philippines after the Spaniards-American
Wars undertook the project of creating a new state on the
American model. The rationale of the American colonial experiment
was a commitment to self-government and eventual independence.
The U.S. Economic Survey and Mission or Bell Mission recommended
in its report that supervisory training be offered to upgrade the
efficiency of government employees. In line with this
recommendation, a training program under the auspices of the
Institute of Public Administration, U.P. was initiated on
February 20,1953 upon approval of the program by then President
Elpidio Quirino and his Cabinet.

The modernization of the civil service was instituted

with the passage of Republic Act 2260 under President
Macapagal. Under President Marcos, the Philippine
constitution and tasked as the central personnel agency
having jurisdiction over every branch, agency,
subdivision and instrumentality of the government to
include government based or controlled corporations.
Another major change was the creation of the Compensation
and Position Classification in a move to standardize the
salary system and increase employment benefits of
government employees. In 1989, Republic Act 6758 was
passed providing for the standardization of salary grades
of all government employees based on commonalities of
rank and position occupied. Executive Order 292 under
President Aquino paved the way for the creation of the
Civil Service Law.

Features of Philippine
Bureaucracy
1. Following Max Webers concept, Philippine officials have technical or
administrative expertise. They are appointed and promoted according to merit.
2. Recruitment of government is through the civil service where one has to pass an
examination or given the corresponding civil service eligibility through exemptions
granted the corresponding civil service eligibility through exemptions granted
through Presidential decree (i.e. P.D. 993) awarding civil service eligibilities to
honor graduates in the undergraduate (A.B. or B.S.) provided ones position is
aligned to his/her completed specialized degree and other board examinations.
3. There is administration by rule whereby personnel is committed to impersonal rules
that limit their own authority and must be applied to in an even-handed away.
4. Jurisdiction in the area of competence/responsibility is more than a formal chain
of command, it is set of coordinated parts, where departments are responsible for
particular activities that have a continuity of their own.
5. Bureaucratic authority is based on conformity to rules, correct procedures and
clearly defined jurisdiction which Weber called as rationally legal in contrast to
traditional or charismatic authority.
6. Security of tenure in the government.

7.Aside from the regular, permanent employees, other

workers in the government are classified as follows:
a. Casual
b. Temporary
c. Contractual

Problems
in the Philippine Bureaucracy
d.Red Tape
e.Nepotism
f.Political spoils or patronage system
g.Graft and Corruption

To lessen the negative aspects of the Philippine

bureaucracy, the Congress during the Aquino
administration enacted Republic Act No. 6713 of 1988.

Sec. 4. Norms of Conduct of Public Officials and Employees Every public official
and employee shall observe the following standards of personal conduct in the
discharge and execution of public duties: Commitment to public interest,
professionalism, justness and sincerity , political neutrality, responsiveness to
the public, nationalism and patriotism, commitment to democracy and simple living.

Sec. 5 Duties of Public Officials and Employees In performance of their duties,

all public officials and employees are under obligation to: act promptly