Almond–Lippmann consensus

The Almond–Lippmann consensus is a principle of political theory authored by Gabriel Almond and Walter Lippmann shortly after the Second World War. It states that public opinion is the following:

1. it is volatile and irrational and thus a dubious basis for foreign policy;
2. it is devoid of interest and susceptible to manipulation and thus should not be studied.

The consensus was highly influential in the 1950s and 1960s but weakened following the conclusion of the Vietnam War, when it became clear that "the American public had taken a more sober and enlightened approach toward the war than the heads of government did," which led to Lippmann himself recanting.