Question

Under which circumstances would a politician be most likely to ignore the results of a public opinion poll on a particular subject when making policy regarding that subject?

Answer 1

The poll indicates that public opinion on the subject is volatile (liable to change).

Answer 2

A politician would be most likely to ignore the results of a public opinion poll on a particular subject if he or she knows that doing so will have a positive impact on the people being represented--since this means he or she will be doing the right thing in the long-run.