Salience
Definition
Salience is how prominent or important an issue is in the public's mind at a given moment, distinct from how many people hold a particular opinion on it. A high-salience issue gets attention and drives votes, while a low-salience issue can be popular in polls yet ignored in practice.
Why it matters
Because media coverage and organized attention drive salience more than the underlying importance of an issue, well-funded interests can keep their preferred topics off the public radar simply by not amplifying them, even when majorities would oppose their position if asked directly. Legislators often act on low-salience issues exactly because voters aren't watching closely enough to punish them at the next election.
Seen in the wild
Research on climate policy published in the Journal of Public Policy found that state governments were more likely to act on climate change specifically when public salience of the issue rose, not merely when public support for climate action was already high, showing salience and opinion are distinct levers.