Copyright 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Publishing as Longman Where We Live

A Land of Diversity Demographics = Characteristics of where we live, who we are in terms of age, education, religion, and occupation affect how we vote Political Predisposition = A characteristic of a person that can predict political behavior Copyright 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Publishing as Longman Political Socialization The process by which we develop our political values, beliefs, and attitudes

What causes this? Copyright 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Publishing as Longman Ethnocentrism Belief in the superiority of one’s nation or ethnic group

1) Geography The Atlantic ocean has served as a barrier to foreign meddling –Allowed US time to establish political tradition and develop economy The wide Western frontier-room to grow and avoid social and political tensions that Europe experienced Being surrounded by oceans reinforced sense of isolation from Europe and foreign alliances Throughout US history, America has shown reluctance in involvement in foreign wars

2) Weak Neighbors Before the terrorist attacks of Sept 11, only one foreign enemy had struck the continental US –Presence of powerful and aggressive neighbors impedes the development of democracy in relatively weak nations Copyright 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Publishing as Longman

3) Size Landmass of America exceeds that of all but 3 nations (Russia, Canada, & Brazil) US has so much space (lower population density in comparison to other countries) Manifest Destiny = Belief that developed in the 19 th century in which Americans were destined to rule the continent As a result, we have resorted to violence to take away the lands of Native Americans, Mexicans, and Canadians Copyright 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Publishing as Longman

4) Abundance of natural resources Rich farmland that feeds our population AND makes us the largest exporter of food in the world Rich in natural resources: coal, iron, uranium, oil, precious metals Copyright 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Publishing as Longman

Question: How may where we live in the United States affect how we vote or think about various candidates, issues, or policies?

Copyright 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Publishing as Longman The most distinct section of the United States remains the South, although the differences are diminishing

Copyright 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Publishing as Longman Voting Patterns in the 11 Former Confederate States Cause in difference with rest of the nation? A history of slavery in the South

Democrat vs. Republican? Until the 1970s, most people referred to the South as mainly Democratic (aka “solid South”) Changed when: Republican candidates appealed to white Southerners through emphasis on family values, opposition to taxes, and law-and-order issues Political alignment also shifted as more African Americans became more enfranchised and voted Democratic Copyright 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Publishing as Longman

Differences in the South & other places in America are diminishing More people are moving to the South now Civil Rights movement in 1960s eliminated legal and social barriers However, the South still falls below the rest of the country in per capita income and education The traditional religious and moral conservation of the South remains

Sun Belt Effect! Includes the 11 former Confederate states, New Mexico, Nevada, Arizona, & southern half of California Growing more rapidly than the rest of the country, thus gaining more representation in Congress Land and labor cheaper and more abundant in the Sun Belt People who live in the Sun Belt tend to vote Republican Copyright 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Publishing as Longman

State and Local Identity Different states have distinctive political tradition Distinctive political cultures that affect public opinion and policy outcomes Electoral rules and other laws reinforce state identities Reinforced by method of electing the president and members of Congress

California California stands out 53 of members of House of Representatives exceed total of representatives from smallest 20 states 55 electoral votes are key for any presidential candidate Copyright 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Publishing as Longman

Where We Live: Percent Change in Resident Population, Many live in metropolitan areas Movement of rural to central cities Many are now moving out of the cities to the suburbs Better housing, new transportation systems make it easy to get to work, desire for cleaner air Copyright 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Publishing as Longman Four out of five Americans now live in central cities and their suburbs

Where We Live: White flight = White middle class moving away from central cities so children can avoid being bused for racial balance and attend generally better schools This has made American cities increasingly poor, African American, and Democratic More than half all African Americans live in central cities- poverty level amongst them is higher than among whites Cities That Are at Least 50 Percent African American (2006)