One major disadvantage of public opinion is that

A.

the critics of government policies are always harassed

B.

a vocal minority claims to represent the majority

C.

gossip and rumours thrive

D.

leaders are unnecessarily criticized.

Correct answer is B

Public Opinion is the beliefs, values and attitudes which are commonly held and expressed by majority of the people on a given public issue.

In some cases, what we regard as public opinion are the views of infinitesimal number of members of the public which means it does not represent the opinion of majority members of the public.