2. Unit II Political Beliefs and Behaviors Us vs. Them

3. II. Political Beliefs & Behaviors A)Beliefs that citizens hold about their government and their leaders 1) Mistrust 2) Trends in presidential approval 3) Trends in approval of Congress B) Process by which citizens learn about politics 1) Political Socialization 2) Selective Perception

4. II. Political Beliefs & Behaviors - Demographic groups and voter behavior -Identify major demographic groups and describe their political behavior. -Describe voter turnout

5. II. Political Beliefs and Behaviors C) The nature sources and consequences of public opinion - dealignment D) The ways in which citizens vote and otherwise participate in political life 1) Voting / statistics / obstacles to turnout 2) Other forms of political participation E) Factors that make citizens differ from one another in beliefs/behaviors

6. Unit II: Political Beliefs and Behaviors (10-20%) Define political culture. Define/describe political socialization. Identify the main agents of political socialization. What is unique about American political culture? Define/describe efficacy in the United States.

7. Political Behavior (Unit II)

8. Ideology (Unit II) Conservatism Liberalism Libertarianism www.people-press.org/psr/fit-survey.htm www.politicalcompass.org http://self-gov.org/quiz.html http://madrabbit.net/webrabbit/quizshow.html http://speakout.com Lesson Plan on http://www.youthleadership.net/index.jsphttp://www.youthleadership.net/index.jsp

9. Ideology Unit II

10. Trends in US Political Culture (Unit II) Trust Changes in trust, 60’s and post 9/11 Patriotism and “rally around the flag” Support of President Support of Congress Support of Federal/State Governments www.democracycorps.com See Vital Statistics (See FRQs)

11. Unit II Political Culture

13. Attitudes Towards Congress (Unit II)

14. Public Opinion Polling (Unit II) Methods –Random sample –Random digit dialing –Focus Groups –Importance of wording of question Accuracy -margin of error

15. Political Behaviors (Unit II) Forms: - protest - grass roots activism, etc. - joining an interest group or party - voting – most common form – See FRQs

16. Demographic Groups and Political Beliefs/Behaviors “All the African Americans who voted for Bush ended up on his Cabinet” –- Jay Leno, After the 2000 Election Returns

17. Demographics & Political Behaviors See “Vital Statistics in American Politics” Race – African American, Hispanic, Asian Gender Region – South, Mid West, West, North East Socioeconomic – high/low Age – (18-21) Religion – Catholic, Jewish, Protestant Urban/Rural Union See FRQ

18. Voter Turnout (See lesson plan and FRQs) What is an average turnout in a Presidential election? In a “mid term” election? Off year? Primary? Closed primary? What types of voters vote in low turnout elections?

19. Voter Turnout - Obstacles Voter Registration Absentee Ballots Single Day, Tuesday Voting Demographic Groups Young (18-21) Low income Reasons for decline in voter turnout Expansion of suffrage Apathy What is the impact of low turnout? See FRQ

20. Political Participation – Unit II

21. Characteristics of Public Opinion Saliency- The degree to which it is important to a particular individual or group Ex: Social Security Intensity- When intensity is of a group is high, that group can wield personal influence far beyond their numbers Ex: Gun Control Stability- Public opinion on issues change over time. Some dimensions of public opinion remain stable. Ex: Support of Democracy

22. Public Ideologies Conservative- Individuals should be responsible for their own being and should not rely on government assistance, tending to oppose government interference in the private sector. They also oppose most governmental regulations, preferring the market determine cost and business practices. Liberal- Believe that the government should be used to remedy the social and economic injustices of the marketplace, and support government regulation of the economy. They also support government efforts to redress past social injustices through programs such as affirmative action.

23. Public Ideologies (cont.) Moderate- They don’t constitute a coherent ideology. They view themselves as pragmatists who apply common sense rather than philosophical principles to political problems.

24. Determining Factors in Ideological and Political Behaviors Race/ Ethnicity Religion Gender Income Level Region