Problem:
While I do believe there is no one most perfect avenue, a preferred approach to national security decision-making requires a balance that incorporates meaningful/coherent public opinion while maintaining significant constraints on media influence. Research shows that public opinion on foreign policy matters is more sophisticated and stable than what is presented, challenging the classical Almond-Lippmann consensus that viewed mass opinion as volatile and uninformed (Holsti, 1992). Informed citizens provide valuable democratic ideas and legitimacy to national security policies, particularly when their views are listened to and expressed through established institutional channels such as congressional representation and public polling. However, the influence of factional politics and minority groups within the policy-making process suggests that direct public input must be carefully structured to avoid possible capture and usage by narrow interests that may not represent broader national security imperatives (Lantis & Homan, 2019).
Media influences should be significantly limited in national security considerations due to systematic and or deliberate misperceptions and distortions that compromise effective policy-making. Media organizations frequently mischaracterize public opinion on foreign policy issues, creating inaccurate feedback between perceived public sentiment and actual citizen concerns (Gift & Monten, 2021). This media misperception can lead policymakers to make decisions based on manufactured or exaggerated public pressure rather than genuine democratic input. The medias role should be primarily informational rather than directly influential in security decision-making. The ideal framework preserves democratic accountability through structured public input mechanisms while insulating critical national security choices from the potential volatility and inaccuracy of media-driven narratives. SEND PEERS RESPONSE WITH CITATION. Need Assignment Help?