Vox populi
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Vox populi (VOKS-POP-yoo-lye) is Latin for "the voice of the people," or simply "popular sentiment." The term is common in discussing politics.
The full phrase, however, was "vox populi, vox Dei," meaning "the voice of the people is the voice of God." In other words, popular sentiment can seem as powerful as God's will sometimes.
Usage of the phrase is quite old, with William of Malmesbury quoting it as a proverb in the Twelfth Century.