Burke's Distinction and Public Representation Article

Burke's Distinction and Public Representation - Article Example Although public opinion is downplayed in this relationship, it certainly has its place in terms of public representation simply because the electorate must feel placated. The primary role of a public representative is, however, to understand the difference between opinion and interest, and to legislate with the best interests of the people in mind. Public representatives must work to find a balance between the focus of opinion and interest. Edmund Burke described the mentality of human society as being based on two basic principles: the people's interests and the people's opinions. These have been the foundation of Burke's Distinction, a theoretical framework of behaviour that has been used to study economics and politics as they pertain to public will and necessity. Burke's Distinction refers to the distinct forces of both interest and opinion, and describes how these forces relate to one another in terms of human character and motivation (Gargarella, 2001, 13). Burke's reference to people's interests is his idea that political or economic change will come as a result of successful government that understands the basic difference between whim and necessity. ... existence and unrestricted by conscious efforts, public interest has always been and will always remain fundamentally the same in that it must be addressed for survival purposes (Stanlis, 1958, 179). Public interest, in Burke's view, is therefore distinguished from public opinion because of its almost autonomous status (Hoffman et al, 1956, 177). Whether Burke's Distinction is called upon to analyse politics or economics, the force of public interest is always the scientific factor involved in the analysis. This is important because proper scientific breakdown can show how public interest is different from public opinion quickly and easily; although often the motivations behind the two are the same, Burke's Distinction shows which issues demand the attention of a governing body and which may simply be trendy at the time. Public opinion subsequently can be used to represent not only the popular opinion of a community but often the result of mass misinformation. According to Burke, popular opinion is very often cultivated from small truths which are stretched and skewed to an unrecognisable state upon which people then begin to make judgements (Somerset and Burke, 1957, 89). This can relate to international affairs, internal issues, economy, political systems themselves and virtually any facet of public or private life. Burke doesn't necessarily suggest that group mentality is fundamentally different than individual mentality; he simply points out that what can in one person's mind be an issue worth gathering more information about becomes an escalated, un-researched issue in the hands of an entire society at once. While public representatives need to always keep an eye on public opinion (after all, public opinion equates to the outcome of an election)

Lessening Secondhand Smoke on Children Research Paper - 3

Lessening Secondhand Smoke on Children - Research Paper Example entable deaths around the world and exposure to environmental tobacco smoke has some adverse effects on the people adoption of strategies to reduce this form of some would include the following interventions. Creating smoking bans and restrictions within certain places. This would involve the implementation of policies and regulations which are aimed at limiting or controlling the use of tobacco within designated areas. These approaches are strongly effective based on the scientific evidence regarding exposure to ETS. This also has some effects on reducing the amount of smoke within the environment since some people become deterred from smoking. Conducting community education among the parents and teachers about the relevance of reducing smoking. This will be undertaken in seeking to create awareness on the various individuals, including children, regarding the positive outcomes of reduced smoking. The education intervention with motivate individuals to modify their smoking behaviours in the effort to reduce the ETS. Tobacco use initiation is described as the behaviours by individuals, who were non-smokers to begin smoking. Different intervention can be undertaken to reduce their initiation and they include the following. Increasing the price of tobacco products – this is a legislative measure which seeks to increase the prices so that people become deterred from using these products. Although there are various factors which affect the possibility of people smoking, the cost factors plays a fundamental role to this effect since people must consider their costs. Mass media campaigns – these can be combined within other interventions, like education to the general public. These campaigns are focused at providing information to the general public regarding the importance of living a tobacco free lifestyle. Formative research must be undertaken in order to determine the message which will be delivered in these campaigns and determine the target population for