THE AMERICAN POLITICAL SYSTEM LECTURE 8 POLITICAL SOCIALIZATION AND PUBLIC OPINION

POLITICAL SOCIALIZATION Learning political behavior Learning about political ideas, political systems, our roles in the democratic political system Political socialization: individual level Ideas and feelings about issues are collectively and publicly expressed: public opinion

SYSTEM THEORY OF POLITICAL SOCIALIZATION Developed by David Easton and Jack Dennis A generational process passed on from older people to younger people Specific support: allegiance given to the system by the people because it delivers what they want I.e. I am a Republican because the Republican Party believes in cutting taxes

DIFFUSE SUPPORT (SYSTEM THEORY) Support given to the system even though presently people are not pleased with its operation at the moment „my country right or wrong” Paying taxes, even though taxes are too high Stages: politicization: child becomes aware of authority outside the family, police officer giving a fine for speeding

SYSTEMS THEORY OF DIFFUSE SUPPORT Personalizing outside authority, associating it with certain people— President Idealizing authority: Police officer is protective, helpful, good Positive feelings towards figures of authority are transformed into acceptance of the whole system of government

HEGEMONIC THEORY Political socialization results from a power relation between the dominant ruling group and the dominated governed group Government uses propaganda and censorship (flags, national anthems, national heroes) Censorship: (prior restraint)screening information, which is not in the interest of the ruling group Stages of political socialization: childhood, adolescence, and adulthood

AGENTS OF POLITICAL SOCIALIZATION Family:persistence of political beliefs through generations Beliefs concerning ethnic, racial, religious groups Family identifies child’s identification with political parties Forming the child’s feeling towards authority

AGENTS OF POLITICAL SOCIALIZATION Schools: civics classes, national anthems, Teacher as an authority figure Peers: People of similar ages and interests Increased influence during adolescence Media: mass communication Cannot tell what to think, but can influence what to think about

PUBLIC OPINION Develops during the communication process Person to person communication—more persuasive, direct, message tailored to individual, reward system: instant feedback Government and government officials: declaring nations that are enemies or friends. How much information is released about a given issue

PUBLIC OPINION Media:Influence the formation of opinion on particular issues V. O. Key: reinforcement of the status quo Preconceptions: selected exposure to various messages Republicans do not attend Democratic Party events Social settings: the socio-economic status group of the receiver., ethnic, racial affiliations Opinion leaders: avid listeners of the media passing along its messages according to their own screening

MEASURING PUBLIC OPINION Straw polls: not scientific, using the mail, telephone, and other direct communication messages, asking the „man on the street” Scientific polling: sampling process Securing a representative sample: Who will be interviewed and how will the interview be conducted Random sampling: interviewing randomly selected people at a particular area Quota method:interviewing a certain number of people from a certain age, sex, religious, or ethnic group