It used to be a purely theoretical question to sit back wonder what the average person in China (or Brazil or any number of other places) would think about something. More and more, publicly-available answers to that question are proliferating.

World Public Opinion is breaking new ground as it surveys a wide swath of the world's public on questions we have in common. It's remarkable to hear a collective public voice emerge on topics like globalization, China, the U.S., climate change and the UN.

There is a cottage industry within the IR field that explores the differences between leaders' official positions and opinions -- which traditionally form the basis of international politics -- and popular views, which often enter the equation only indirectly depending on a country's political process.

Global public opinion seems to be more novelty than political heavyweight at this point. But as it gathers steam, it may begin to loom larger as a political factor, just as the 24-hour news cycle has done with its CNN effect.