Ideology and Public Opinion 10 October, 2011

Review: The American Political System Designed to protect against majority rule and protect minority rights Examples Viewed in comparative perspective Link to SNL skit on Obama’s AccomplishmentsSNL skit

Today: Ideology and Public Opinion Objectives: Meaning, is the US unique? Theories Examples

Ideology A package of ideas, a way of organizing one’s thinking about political issues and leaders. Anchored by core values that serve to structure other ideas Public Opinion An expression of underlying attitudes and beliefs and potentially influenced by political ideology

Liberal vs. conservative A core value that distinguishes them and influences their positions on a variety of issues is whether government should actively promote individual equality. Liberals [in the United States] favor active government intervention to promote equality of outcomes/results flat rate vs. regressive rate income tax vs. sales tax Conservatives believe that government should be limited to ensuring equality of opportunities in economic matter. In social matters, however, conservatives favor a more expansive role for government

Nature and Acquisition of Opinions and Values Rational choice Socialization or DNA?

Nature and Acquisition of Opinions and Values Process by which one acquires values and develops opinions is called socialization. Agents of socialization Family and Friends School Media (news, relatively new media, soft news, entertainment) Lifetime Learning: new jobs, new friends, new neighborhoods

Nature and Acquisition of Opinions and Values (II) Are we wired to be a liberal or conservative? Twin Studies identical twins were more likely to agree on political issues than were fraternal twins. Taxes - (four-fifths of identical twins shared the same opinion, while only two-thirds of fraternal twins agreed).

Is the US Unique? American Individualism

Distribution of ideology over time

Opinions about Federal Spending Source: American National Election Study (NES) 2002

Opinions about Federal Spending Source: American National Election Study (NES) 2002

Opinions about Federal Spending Source: American National Election Study (NES) 2002

Social Group Basis of Ideology Source: Center for American Progress gress.org/issues/2009/ 03/pdf/political_ideolog y.pdf

The 2008 Election

Another Way of Looking at the Distribution of Votes

Consequences - Culture War? Fiorina argues that the ideological disputes that engage political elites and activists have little resonance among the American mass public Ordinary 21st century Americans “are not very well-informed about politics, do not hold many of their views very strongly, and are not ideological” (p. 19).

Culture War? Fiorina’s characterization of Americans as uninterested and non-ideological may apply very well to the large number of Americans who rarely or never vote. However, it may not apply as well to regular voters, and it is voters whose opinions are of greatest concern to candidates and elected officials.

Distribution of Voters on Liberal- Conservative Issues Scale

Distribution of Non Voters on Liberal-Conservative Issues Scale

Implications - Polarization Electoral competition in the United States now appears to be structured by ideology The American public appears to be increasingly divided into two groups: the politically engaged, who view politics in ideological terms, and the politically disengaged, who do not. Implications for ability to govern