The Public Opinion Matrix

What does person (or organization) X say about issue Y?

People who follow the news like to know this. It’s not so trivial to find. Multiply this by the number of noteworthy public officials, and the number of public interest issues, it’s a big matrix.

With social media (X/Twitter, Threads, BlueSky, etc) it’s trivial for any public person or organization to give their opinions. Maybe they share in an interview, and somebody else would have to record it. But, commonly, they don’t.

Groups like Project VoteSmart do this in the US -- but only for broadly defined issues, and not for day-to-day questions about reactions to news events, support for nominees, etc.

The absence of a stated opinion could nudge more constituents and reporters to press the official (or company) for a position.