Final answer:
Opinion polls are used by politicians to understand public sentiments, adjust their positions, and strategize for elections, but they are not used to coerce opposition opinions to align with their own.
Step-by-step explanation:
Opinion polls are not used by politicians to bring opposition opinions in line with the politicians. Instead, polls serve as a tool for politicians to gauge public opinion, identify areas of public agreement, and possibly adjust their positions or rhetoric to align more closely with the electorate's mood. Public opinion polls are frequently cited by politicians to justify their positions on policies and to strategize within political campaigns.
Politicians may shift their strategies based on long- and short-term changes in public opinion. For example, politicians who are often in election cycles, such as House members, pay close attention to polls to avoid losing on Election Day. Conversely, presidents and justices have more complex relationships with public opinion.
The use of public opinion polling can also reflect a commitment to delegate representation, where politicians act as the voice of the people, sometimes using polls to decide how to vote on upcoming key issues. Moreover, politicians may use polling data to craft their public messages and present policies in more favorable terms, as exemplified by President George W. Bush's choice of language when discussing controversial policies.