Real-Life Decision Making -- Solution
You decide to hold off and order a poll.
The polling takes a while and the tension grows in your office. Was it
a waste of time and money?
Actually, no. You're very surprised to learn that 82 percent of your constituents
are in favor of gun control. You realize that all the letters you received
were not an accurate representation of public opinion in your riding.
Knowing the majority of your constituents favor gun control, you can now
vote with confidence. The poll was worth the money.
This gives you peace of mind, but there will be times when you have to
vote against the majority in order to stay true to your principles.
"Some elected officials always do what the majority want and others say,
'On this I have to go with what I think is right', says city commissioner
Nan Whaley. "It's a balance."
Duane Nicol explains that politicians often need to educate the public.
"They don't necessarily know what option is best," he says.
"Our job as civic leaders is to find the best option and then let them know
the benefits of that option."