ABSTRACT
This chapter offers a theoretically informed plausibility test of the assumed insignificance of Indian public opinion. Research on the influence of public opinion on foreign policy decision-making, particularly developed in the United States, dates back many years. Election manifestos provide an alternative indirect measurement of the public attention towards foreign policy issues in general. Given India’s and China’s growing energy consumption the fate of the global climate change regime is undeniably tied to Asia’s future policies. The consultation of some surveys provides a more direct indicator of public issue salience. The Indian public’s perception of Pakistan in general, unsurprisingly, is primarily negative across age cohorts and socioeconomic status groups. International trade policy, for example, certainly has an impact on the daily life of Indian citizens. India concurred with International Atomic Energy Agency inspections of its civil nuclear facilities in exchange for a lifting of sanctions concerning trade with advanced nuclear technology.
