CHAPTER FOUR: PUBLIC OPINION

Nature of Public Opinion Public Opinion – the collection of individual opinions toward issues or objects of general interests, that is, those that concern a significant number of people

Formation of Public Opinion Political Socialization – learning about politics by exposure to new information supplied or filtered through parents, peers, schools, the media, political leaders, and the community.

Agents of Political Socialization, I The Family: Parents share their opinions and children imitate them; Children reflect what they learn in the home; Children inherit their social and economic positions from their parents; Agreement with parents declines when young adults leave the home

Agents of Political Socialization, II School: Schools promote patriotic rituals; Textbooks foster commitment to government and the status quo; Reading habits and language skills help build democratic citizenship; College broadens students’ perspectives and leads to greater understanding of the world

Agents of Political Socialization, III Peers: Have the most influence when the peer group is attractive to the individual and when the individual spends time with the group.

Agents of Political Socialization, IV Adult Socialization: Political opinions are affected by such factors as marriage, divorce, unemployment, new jobs, or moves to new locations.

Measuring Public Opinion, I Early polling efforts: Straw polls – unscientific polls run by newspapers or other media sources that attempt to forecast election outcomes

Measuring Public Opinion, II Emergence of Scientific Polling: Beginning after WWII and based on marketing research; Applies mathematical principles of probability; Gallup among the first to use the technique

Measuring Public Opinion, III Polls and Politics: Polling catches on with politicians in the 1960s; Presidents often follow polls on a weekly basis and shape their messages based on these polls; “Crafted talk” is allows politicians to move away from the center and cater to the more extremist views of their base while appearing to be mainstream; Push polls – polls that try to determine if certain information can “push” voters in a particular direction

Knowledge and Information Many Americans do not know much about government beyond the Constitution; Most Americans do not keep up with what goes on in Washington, DC; Lack of knowledge prevents Americans from holding government accountable; Failure to stay informed means politicians can ignore what the public wants

Ideology Defined as a worldview leading to a consistent and coherent set of opinions on political issues, toward political personalities, or on political parties.

Types of Ideologies, I Liberalism – viewing the national government as a constructive force to extend a helping hand in such areas as: Economic recessions and unemployment; Improve schools; Gaining health insurance for individuals and families; Providing a cleaner environment and safer working conditions

Types of Ideologies, II Conservatism – the notion that the nation and the economy are best served if they are free of government interference: Government is not seen as a constructive force except in national security; The free market should be allowed to function; Individuals are responsible for their own well-being; Government should be small

Social Welfare and the Proper Role of Government Most Americans want to see government spend more for social programs; Americans favor helping the poor, but do not like “welfare”; Americans also think their taxes are too high; The public generally thinks more favorably of state rather than the federal government

Social Issues Social issues represent a clash of values between: Those who want to impose a set of standards on society; and Those who believe such things should be left to individuals to decide

Race Americans are increasingly opposed to discrimination and segregation but are divided as to how to achieve this: African Americans and white Americans live in different perceptual worlds; Attitudes toward Arab-Americans have become less trusting since 9/11

Political Tolerance The willingness of individuals to extend procedural rights and liberties to people with whom they disagree: Fulbright’s comment: “American believe in the right to free speech until someone tries to exercise it”; Elites tend to be more tolerant than the general public

Trust in Government Public trust of government has declined significantly in the last forty years

Trust in Government Declined during the 1960s and 1970s

Conclusions Policy may change with changes in opinions but sometimes it does not; Public officials must pay attention to the intensity of public opinion; Public opinion is not the only influence on public policy, nor is it necessarily the most important