AMERICAN GOVERNMENT Chapter 8: Mass Media & Public Opinion Section 1: The Formation of Public Opinion

Objectives 1.Examine the term public opinion and understand why it is so difficult to define. 2.Analyze how family and education help shape public opinion. 3.Describe four other factors that shape public opinion.

Introduction What is public opinion, and what factors help to shape it? –Public opinion consists of the attitudes held by a significant number of people about public affairs—matters of government and politics. –It is shaped by a wide variety of factors, such as family, school, race, occupation, gender, mass media, peer groups, opinion leaders, and historic events.

Different Publics Public opinion in the United States is typically divided. Any given public issue is likely to have separate groups with their own points of view. In addition, people disagree about which public issues are important. Few issues capture the attention of all Americans. Most issues are of little interest to the majority.

Public Affairs –Public affairs include events and issues involving politics, public issues, and the making of public policies. –Examples include political parties, candidates, taxes, unemployment, national defense, foreign policy, and so forth. –Technically, public opinion includes only those views that relate to public affairs.

Public Opinion Public opinion consists of those attitudes publicly expressed by a large number of people about matters of government and politics.

Political Socialization Public opinion is shaped by many different factors throughout our lives. The process by which a person gains his or her political views is called political socialization. This process begins in early childhood and involves the influence of many experiences and relationships. Two of these are family and school.

Parents have a strong influence on the basic beliefs that will shape the political views of their children. Children tend to favor the political parties supported in the households in which they were raised. Family Influences

Schools try to prepare students to become good citizens by educating them about our political system. Schools also give students an informal education about decision- making, influence, and compromise. School Influence

Other Factors In general, occupation and racial background are usually more significant than factors such as gender or place of residence. However, the nature of the issue can change what factors influence people’s views on it. Four other key factors that influence public opinion are the mass media, peer groups, opinion leaders, and historic events.

The mass media includes radio, television, magazines, and newspapers. More than 98 percent of the 115 million U.S. households have a television, and most are turned on for eight or more hours a day. Mass Media

Peer Groups Checkpoint: How does one’s peer group shape his or her attitudes? –Belonging to a peer group tends to reinforce what a person has already come to believe. –This happens in part because peer group members share many socializing experiences and tend to be reluctant to disagree openly with others in their peer group.

Opinion Leader Some people listen to and draw ideas from opinion leaders. Many opinion leaders hold public office, while others are journalists or prominent members of society. –What is the cartoonist implying about the media?

Historic events can shape public opinion and policy. In the 1930s, the Great Depression wrecked the U.S. economy, shifting popular support to Democrats and persuading many Americans to support an increased role for the national government in U.S. economic and social life. The Great Depression

The 1960s and 1970s In the 1960s, the nation was shaken and divided by the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War, and the assassinations of President Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr. The 1970s saw the Watergate scandal and the resignation of President Nixon. The events of these two decades caused many American to lose respect and trust of their government.