--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There's a big gap between public opinion…" description: "\"There's a big gap between public opinion polls and the vote in Washington, in Congress. The majority consciousness has changed, and often that has made..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d1/gloria-steinem-277_bigs_there-s-a-big-gap-between-public-opinion_1644686.jpg" --- # There's a big gap between public opinion polls and the… ![“There's a big gap between public opinion polls and the vote in Washington, in Congress. The majority consciousness has changed, and often that has made very clear, practical changes in our daily lives, but the centers of power are still not occupied, for the most part, by this new consciousness.” quote by Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d1/gloria-steinem-277_bigs_there-s-a-big-gap-between-public-opinion_1644686.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d1/gloria-steinem-277_bigs_there-s-a-big-gap-between-public-opinion_1644686.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d1/gloria-steinem-277_bigs_there-s-a-big-gap-between-public-opinion_1644686.jpg) > “There's a big gap between public opinion polls and the vote in Washington, in Congress. The majority consciousness has changed, and often that has made very clear, practical changes in our daily lives, but the centers of power are still not occupied, for the most part, by this new consciousness.” [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Public opinion often leads policy changes, yet elected bodies lag behind shifting societal values. **In simple terms:** People’s views change faster than lawmakers. Key Takeaway Bridge the gap between public sentiment and political power. Themes politics public opinion representation social change Mood frustrated hopeful Type analytical call to action When to use this quote - voting campaigns - grassroots organizing - policy advocacy - media outreach Key Concepts democracy political inertia civic engagement Questions to Reflect On - How can citizens accelerate political responsiveness? - What mechanisms can align elected officials with current public values? A Different Perspective Power structures resist rapid change, making alignment difficult. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Congress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/congress/) [Consciousness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consciousness/) [Daily life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/daily-life/) [Opinion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opinion/) [Opinion polls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opinion-polls/) [Polls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/polls/) [Public opinion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/public-opinion/) [Vote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vote/) ## Related quotes > [There's a big gap between public opinion polls and the vote in Washington, in Congress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/there-s-a-big-gap-between-public-opinion-polls-and-the-vote-in/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [If you look at the public opinion polls even, support for all the issues, people who self-identify as feminists are as least as many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/if-you-look-at-the-public-opinion-polls-even-support-for-all-the/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [I spend a lot of time on college campuses, and I don't quite understand where the idea comes from that young women are not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/i-spend-a-lot-of-time-on-college-campuses-and-i-don-t-quite/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [Even though Hillary Clinton won the popular vote, you now have Republicans in charge of the White House, the Congress, a majority of governors,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-stephanopoulos/even-though-hillary-clinton-won-the-popular-vote-you-now-have/) [George Stephanopoulos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-stephanopoulos/) > [In Congress the majority governs, but the minority rules.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-esar/in-congress-the-majority-governs-but-the-minority-rules/) [Evan Esar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-esar/) > [Of course I base all my election promises and policies on opinion polls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-rudd/of-course-i-base-all-my-election-promises-and-policies-on-opinion/) [Kevin Rudd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-rudd/) > [The evidence is overwhelming that Planet Earth is being visited by intelligently controlled extraterrestrial spacecraft. In other words, SOME UFOs are alien spacecraft. Most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanton-t-friedman/the-evidence-is-overwhelming-that-planet-earth-is-being-visited-by/) [Stanton T. Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanton-t-friedman/) > [There is only one opinion poll that I am interested in and that is the one that will take place on election day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-howard/there-is-only-one-opinion-poll-that-i-am-interested-in-and-that-is/) [Michael Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-howard/) > [Journalists should denounce government by public opinion polls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-rather/journalists-should-denounce-government-by-public-opinion-polls/) [Dan Rather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-rather/) > [I think we have a fascinating new and quite dominant input into politics - and it wont go away. From time to time, people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-bolger/i-think-we-have-a-fascinating-new-and-quite-dominant-input-into/) [Jim Bolger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-bolger/) > [Opinion polls consistently show that only about 5 percent of blacks have sensible political opinions, i.e. support the free market, individual liberty and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/opinion-polls-consistently-show-that-only-about-5-percent-of-blacks/) [Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/) > [ ...The British press... \[claimed that Tony\] Blair was simply Bush's poodle - a favorite phrase, bewilderingly popular, although it made no sense - and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-king/the-british-press-claimed-that-tony-blair-was-simply-bush-s-poodle-a/) [Larry King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-king/) > [Leaders are responsible not for running public opinion polls but for the consequences of their actions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-kissinger/leaders-are-responsible-not-for-running-public-opinion-polls-but-for/) [Henry A. Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-kissinger/) > [I'm often amazed at the way politicians, who spend hours poring over opinion poll results in a desperate attempt to discover what the public…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-hoggart/i-m-often-amazed-at-the-way-politicians-who-spend-hours-poring-over/) [Simon Hoggart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-hoggart/) > [The possibility of my presidential candidacy emerged spontaneously in public opinion polls. For my part, I noticed people's affection when I was doing work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-bachelet/the-possibility-of-my-presidential-candidacy-emerged-spontaneously-in/) [Michelle Bachelet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-bachelet/) ## More by Gloria Steinem > [People waste more time waiting for someone to take charge of their lives than they do in any other pursuit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/people-waste-more-time-waiting-for-someone-to-take-charge-of-their/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [Nothing will happen automatically. Change depends on what you and I do every day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/nothing-will-happen-automatically-change-depends-on-what-you-and-i-do/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [Women are never again going to be mindless coffee-makers or mindless policy-makers in politics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/women-are-never-again-going-to-be-mindless-coffee-makers-or-mindless/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [The state of female artists is very good. But the very definition of art has been biased in that 'art' was what men did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/the-state-of-female-artists-is-very-good-but-the-very-definition-of/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [We will live to see the day that St. Patrick's Cathedral is a child-care center and the pope is no longer a disgrace to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/we-will-live-to-see-the-day-that-st-patrick-s-cathedral-is-a-child/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [Just when you thought multi-nationals and crazed consumerism were too big to fight, along comes Naomi Klein with facts, spirit, and news of successful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/just-when-you-thought-multi-nationals-and-crazed-consumerism-were-too/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [I don't know Beyoncé, but I have the impression that she's sincere, that she really is a feminist and wanted to put the word…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/i-don-t-know-beyonc-but-i-have-the-impression-that-she-s-sincere-that/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [I started out life as a writer, and writers write in part because they don't want to talk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/i-started-out-life-as-a-writer-and-writers-write-in-part-because-they/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [Proust's tea cake has nothing on one hour in a college dorm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/proust-s-tea-cake-has-nothing-on-one-hour-in-a-college-dorm/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [Sadomasochiasm - which we know very well doesn't exist in societies that don't have child abuse - is regarded some sort of natural sexual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/sadomasochiasm-which-we-know-very-well-doesn-t-exist-in-societies/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [Behave like everything you do matters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/behave-like-everything-you-do-matters/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [“Part of traveling over years means coming back to the same place and knowing it for the first time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/part-of-traveling-over-years-means-coming-back-to-the-same-place-and/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [If you say, I'm for equal pay, that's a reform. But if you say. I'm a feminist, that's a transformation of society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/if-you-say-i-m-for-equal-pay-that-s-a-reform-but-if-you-say-i-m-a/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [I think that part of everybody's success is due to their looks, but it just works in different ways. If you're whatever society calls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/i-think-that-part-of-everybody-s-success-is-due-to-their-looks-but-it/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [Of course, we can change. We're very adaptable. But it takes a while.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/of-course-we-can-change-we-re-very-adaptable-but-it-takes-a-while/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) [Explore all 766 Gloria Steinem quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) ## More Bigs quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [It is said that history turns on small hinges. 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I'm sure other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jayson-werth/i-don-t-want-this-to-be-a-distraction-this-has-been-distracting/) [Jayson Werth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jayson-werth/) > [I didn't get how big it was until I went home, turned on the television and saw it on all the news, and later…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/i-didn-t-get-how-big-it-was-until-i-went-home-turned-on-the/) [Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/) > [It’s a small thing to help one animal, but to that one animal it’s a big thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-baur/it-s-a-small-thing-to-help-one-animal-but-to-that-one-animal-it-s-a/) [Gene Baur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-baur/) > [Since I was a little child, my nose - I think it's too big.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celine-dion/since-i-was-a-little-child-my-nose-i-think-it-s-too-big/) [Celine Dion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celine-dion/) > [People forget that there is a big difference between coercion and persuasion. The idea that evangelism is coercive is nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/people-forget-that-there-is-a-big-difference-between-coercion-and/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [I turn a lot of stuff down - big, big movies, the kind I wouldn't want to go to the cinema to see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-fox/i-turn-a-lot-of-stuff-down-big-big-movies-the-kind-i-wouldn-t-want-to/) [Matthew Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-fox/) > [I got in trouble my whole life for having a big mouth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-tyler/i-got-in-trouble-my-whole-life-for-having-a-big-mouth/) [Steven Tyler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-tyler/) Browse all 15,539 Bigs quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There's a big gap between public opinion polls and the vote in Washington, in Congress. 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