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Greatest progress toward sci'fic stature in PO res is in those studies where crucial behavior is fungible; that is, where one R's behavior is interchangeable with that of any other R. Examples are exchanging money for goods, or making election ballots. The concepts of Rebound & Reception are proposed as basic to the study of PO power which has its impact in nonfungible form. Rebound includes the issue, the public perceptions of it & the influential behaviors expressing these perceptions. Reception is the disposition of decision makers toward these public reactions. Peer group psychol is basic to the dynamics of Reception. The impact of PO on policy, when opinion registers in non-fungible terms, is Rebound + or minus Reception. AA.

It has been argued that when an attitude of a substantial section of society assumes the dimension of a 'public issue', for instance when action is proposed, then the group attitude is a PO. This view represents that of a good-natured nation of extroverts--the Americans. It has, however, practical limitations. In maturer & soberer nations, account must be taken of crystallized but unexpressed att's. The Indian public has sometimes internalized too much, as for instance as shown by its vacillations over the linguistic issue. Analysis of PO shows a set of outer ingredients of organized views towards public issues, & inner constituents of rather inchoate psychol'al tendencies which can be molded by outer ingredients for the soc good, or neglected at crucial moments at the risk of soc disaster. It is a product & factor of democratic group psychol. Its suppression is always dangerous for public life, its expression at the right time & through the right channels is conducive to soc peace, & its proper regulation is the main object of an organized & healthy civic life. Its systematic study has been neglected. IPSA.