Get on the Bus How is the movie related to the class? The diversity within the black community The divisions within the black community Spike Lee often looks at both the external and internal problems facing the black community

Old-Style Radicalism Chapter 7: Old-Style Radicalism Socialism Communism Nazism why did they fail?

New-Style Radicalism What is it? Traditional/Mainstream political participation Unconventional participation

Political Participation Political participation refers to political activity by individual citizens. –Unconventional participation — includes activities such as demonstrations and boycotts –Conventional participation — includes activities such as voting, writing letters, contacting officials, giving money

Conventional Participation May Not Always Be Effective For Minorities Each requires that one of the two political parties embrace (include) the minority group. Money givers, activists, and leaders of organized groups have more influence than do ordinary citizens. If the minority is small in size then their impact on the process is severely limited

Social Movements Social movements are loosely organized collections of people and groups who act over time, outside established institutions, to promote or resist social change. Social movements: –focus on broad, society-wide issues –tend to act outside of normal channels of government, using unconventional, often disruptive, tactics –are generally the political instruments of political outsiders –are generally mass grassroots phenomena –are populated by individuals with a shared sense of grievance –are very difficult to organize and sustain

Major Social Movements Abolitionist movement Populist movement Women’s suffrage Labor movement Peace movement –conscientious objection Civil rights movement Anti-Vietnam War movement

Women’s movement –Equal Rights Amendment Environmental movement Gay and lesbian movement Religious fundamentalist movements –Pro-life (anti-abortion) movement Anti- (corporate) globalization movement Anti-Iraq war movement

Social Movements and Democracy? They encourage popular involvement and interest in politics. –Broadening the “scope of conflict” They often allow those without substantial resources to enter the game of politics. –Mass mobilization They often are crucial in overcoming gridlock or the status quo. –Civil Rights movement –Women’s suffrage movement

Protest is Not Enough Protest communicates needs/demands, but only temporarily Protest is not always considered legitimate For real and long term policy change you need political representation in local, state and federal bodies Browning, Marshall, Tabb (1984)

Protest is Not Enough Not easy to do: Civil Rights movement started in the North (Chicago 1943) Movie: “Eyes on the Prize” Divisions between leaders of the civil rights movement But: As Malcolm X says - the threat of the militant faction (Black Panthers, etc.) made it easy for the nonviolent movement to obtain concessions

Conventional Participation Voting Contact officials Attend meetings Attend political rallies Contributing to a campaign Volunteering in a campaign Running for office Military service Legal action: Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas inspired activists to try and change the South

Who Participates? Income Education Race and ethnicity Age Gender

Voting Behavior: Long term factors: –Party loyalty, still the best predictor –Class, race, regional loyalties Short term factors –Candidate appeal (Image) –Issues

How is Race Important in Voting? -Can minorities get elected? -Minority turnout -White support -Can minorities extract policy benefits from a political party? -Voting block -Vote on racial issues

Latino Voting Block? Republican or Democrat Latino population is generally socially conservative Latinos offered the strongest support for CA prop 22 in 2000 banning gay marriage Latinos are moving into the middle class and there is a general association between income and partisanship Cubans are already heavily Republican 35% of Latino voted for Bush in 2000 in Texas. A big jump from 21% in 1996

Democrats? Latinos especially in CA have moved closer to the Democratic Democrats are perceived as having stances on racial issues, economic opportunity, education, crime that are closer to their preferences and interests. Latino National Political Survey found that 81% of Latinos in CA were Democrat only 18.9% of Latinos nationally self-identified as Republicans

Statistical Analysis Probit/Logit Regression dependent variable: Party best able to handle an issue (Democrat or GOP) independent variables –issue variables –economy, jobs, education, crime, drugs, social security, immigration, race, affirmative action control variables –Party, Registered, Union member, Ethnic Intensity, Gender, Married, Religiosity, Income

Findings On every issue represented here, except education and jobs, California Latinos are more likely to identify Democrats as better able to address the problem. Texas: drug issue is seen to be better handled by GOP Religiosity had no effect. Income was positively association with support for Democrats Implication? GOP will have a hard time converting because religion and income (traditionally associated with GOP) do not seem to be driving forces in partisanship of Latinos.