I think that the U.S. government is responsive to public opinion, although perhaps not as quickly as some would prefer. One possible reason for the delay in responsiveness could be because citizens in different areas of the country may not be in agreement on issues for a period of time. One example that was given in our textbook was the desegregation of schools. The desegregation movement was met with opposition for a number of years among the southern states. Therefore, although a large portion of the country promoted integration of the school system, Congress was delayed in their responsiveness due to a portion of states not in agreement.