Warm Up – 9/5

Warm Up Which of the following is the leading predictor of how an individual will vote in a congressional election? A) Newspaper endorsements B) Gender C) Partisanship D) Presidential endorsement E) Occupation

How Americans Think Politically Party Identification Ideology Group Attachments Today we are viewing people as groups, not as individuals Not everyone will match these opinions

Party Identification The personal sense of loyalty that an individual feels toward a particular party “I’m a Republican” “I’m a Democrat” 2/3 of Americans call themselves either R or D Party identification is fluid, but typically lifelong attachments If you are going to change, when would you? Partisanship

Political Ideology A consistent pattern of opinions on particular issues that stems from a core set of beliefs Liberalism Conservatism Socialism Libertarianism

Liberalism Willing to have government interaction “Let the government take care of the poor and the rich will take care of themselves.” What does this result in? All people are equal In opportunity, discrimination and wealth Bring the poor up, rather than capping rich 24% of Americans consider themselves liberal

Criticism of Liberals Too much reliance on the government Higher taxes “Power corrupts, so power must be limited.”

Conservatism Limited government, individual excellence and personal achievement Private property and free enterprise (pro-business) Small government, except in defense Pessimistic on human nature Government needs to ensure order Those who fail, are the architects of their own misfortune 37% of Americans consider themselves conservative

Critics of Conservatives Selective opposition to government “They want more government when it serves their needs.” Too much faith in the market economy “Lower taxes on the rich makes the rich richer.”

Socialism Mixture of capitalism and communism Favor expanded government Nationalize certain industries Public jobs programs (If you want to work, here’s a job) More taxes for the wealthy Cut defense spending

Libertarianism Sharply limited government Opposition to all government programs Massive government spending cuts Only defense spending if the US is attacked Oppose all government regulation Repeal laws that regulate personal morality Drugs, pornography, abortion, prostitution

Independents The belief of moderates do not constitute a coherent ideology Use common sense rather than philosophical principles 35% of Americans consider themselves moderate

Ideology in America Conservatives outnumber liberals 6% consider themselves extreme L or C Opinion consistency is very rare Political issues are viewed as isolated How does that make things difficult for voters?

Group Attachments Income – Rich: Republican Education – High school or below: Democrat Postgraduate: Also Democrat Gender – Women: Democrat Age – Older: Republican Religion – Protestants: Republican Catholics and Jews: Democrat Ethnic Group – Minorities: Democrat Geography – Urban Centers: Democrat