The role of public opinion in shaping foreign policy A study of factors, causes and means

Abstract

This study aimed to identify the mechanisms of public opinion's influence in shaping and directing the state's foreign policy, to clarify the channels and means through which public opinion is expressed, to reveal the role of modern media in enhancing the role of public opinion and its influence on foreign policy, and the limits of this influence, and to reveal the internal and external factors affecting governments' response to public opinion. The study concluded with important results, including: Public opinion has an increasing role in shaping foreign policy, but the degree of this influence varies according to the nature of political systems and types of governments, and public opinion is affected by a number of internal and external factors that limit the degree of its influence on the foreign policy of countries, and civil society organizations contribute to raising public opinion's awareness of political issues that influence foreign policy, and international relations, economic and political pressures, and international agreements and treaties play a role in governments' response to the demands of public opinion.