Public opinion is a powerful force in the political arena, and it can have a significant impact on the success of contemporary politicians. According to a survey, 39% of the population is highly politically effective, 33% have average political effectiveness and 28% have low political effectiveness. The way in which political messages are conveyed can be either manifest or latent. Manifest content is when the writer or publication makes it clear to the reader or spectator that the information offers only one side of the political debate.
On the other hand, latent content is when the writer or publication does not make it clear which side of the debate they are on. These two measures of opinion on the impact of voting and on the ability of ordinary citizens to influence the Washington government can be combined to create a scale of political effectiveness. Across all political groups, Democrats and supporters are slightly more likely to be politically effective (44%) than Republicans and Republican supporters (36%).
