Public Opinion Research Procurement in the Saskatchewan Government: Polling for the Public Good?

Abstract

Public opinion research has become a key element of both governmental policy-making and communications strategies in most democratic jurisdictions. However, there are differences among jurisdictions in how public opinion research is procured, how the results of this research are disseminated, and what contribution this research might make to the “public good”. Saskatchewan’s approach to the commissioning and publication of public opinion research raises questions about how government approaches procurement of polling and other public opinion research, how this research supports government decision-making (including agenda-setting) and communications strategies, whether or not it should have the role it does in decision-making, and what – if any – contribution polling makes to the overall good of the citizens in the province. Given the requirement of public release, how do political actors see the relevance and importance of public opinion research in policy-making?