John Zaller's finding that members of the public usually follow the cues of elites may seem normatively disturbing . If true, it might seem to obviate the need for democracy or to show that elites are manipulating the public. However, if it is not always true, we can judge cases of public followership according to independent criteria, such as whether the public's occasional rebellions against elite opinion further liberal democratic or utilitarian purposes. A review of some prominent cases of

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... ass followership and mass divergence from elite opinion suggests that public opinion that is independent of elite leadership is neither an unmitigated good nor an unmitigated problem for a well-ordered polity.