1. Political Beliefs and Behaviors

2. Objectives
Identify demographic trends and their likely impact on American politics
Identify and explain the  political culture in the United States
Outline how various forms of socialization shape political opinions
Explain how polls are conducted and what can be learned from them about American Public Opinion
Assess the influence of political ideology on Americans’ political thinking and behavior
Classify forms of political participation into two broad types
Analyze how public opinion about the scope of government guides political behavior

3. Public Opinion
Public Opinion: distribution of the population’s beliefs about politics and policy issues
Founding Fathers: average citizens lacked the time, information, energy or interest on public policy.
Madison
direct popular opinion = disaster.
Elected representatives “as a defense against people’s own errors and delusions”

4. Political Culture
Political culture: set of shared about who should govern, for what ends, and by what means.
does not prevent conflict to reconcile conditions with values, or one value with another.
Values vs Beliefs??

5. Political Culture Values are shared ideas about what is good.
Beliefs are shared ideas about what is true.
Beliefs often give a foundation for values.
For instance, the belief that God endowed humankind with rights to life, liberty, and property is a foundation for giving these concepts the status of values in our political culture.

6. Political Ideology
Political ideology: cohesive set of beliefs about politics, public policy, and the role of government.
varies according to age, race, gender and socioeconomic status.
Although political ideology is important, only about 20% of Americans vote along ideological lines.
Wedge Issues: Policies that divide the public (abortion, war in Iraq)

7. Ideological Spectrum
Liberal (Left-wing)- protecting and enhancing the freedom of the individual to be the central problem of politics.
Conservative (right-wing): promotes retaining traditional social institutions. Less government and taxes.; traditionalist or conservative.
Moderate: not extreme, partisan or radical; may have some beliefs of both ideologies.
Independent: votes for candidates and issues rather than political ideology to partisanship
Libertarian: emphasizes freedom, liberty, and voluntary association without coercion; advocate small government compared to most present day societies, or no government whatsoever.

9. Ideological Spectrum

10. Political Ideology Liberalism Conservatism Reproductive Rights
Universal Healthcare Program
Expanded programs for the poor, minorities and women
Government Regulation of the Economy
Frank Dodd Act
Political and social Reform
Voting Rights Acts
Civil Rights Movement
Gay Rights including marriage
Environmental Rights
Expansion of American Military power
Less government regulation of business
School Prayer
economic philosophy of prudence in government spending and debt.
Death Penalty
Free-market solutions to economic problems
Supply and demand

12. How Americans Learn about Politics
Political Socialization: political values are formed and passed from one generation to the next.
Lifelong learning
Behavior impacted through environment

13. Agents of Socialization
The Family
Education
Media
Social Groups

14. Agents of Socialization
The Family
Time and emotional commitment;
political ideologies
Moral values
Social/Ethical issues
70% of voters identify with same party as parents
High school seniors: Less than 10% identify with a party opposite their parents

15. Agents of Socialization
Education
basic values of the system; liberty, equality, individualism, and democracy
This government class
Nazi Germany
North Korea
Education has become a
very important public policy issue to most people

16. Agents of Socialization
The Media
The Mass Media has been referred to as the “new Parent.”
now the chief source of information among those under the age of 30

17. Agents of Socialization
Social Groups
Religion
Gender
Socio Economic
Education
Race

18. Census
Constitution states that an enumeration of the population is required every ten years.
“The U.S. Constitution empowers the Congress to carry out the census in "such manner as they shall by Law direct" (Article I, Section 2). The Founders of our fledgling nation had a bold and ambitious plan to empower the people over their new government. The plan was to count every person living in the newly created United States of America, and to use that count to determine representation in the Congress.”
Census: calculates population and demographics

19. Groups Differences - Religion
Protestants tend to vote Republican
conservative on economic issues
liberal on social issues
Catholics tend to vote Democratic
liberal on economic issues
conservative on social issues

20. The Gender Gap
Gender gap: difference in political views between men and women.
Since 1980 women have:
voted at a higher rate than men
A larger proportion of the voting population

21. Gender Gap What can you infer based on this data? Issue M W
Think the Iraq War worth the Cost % 35%
Favor increased federal spending on war on terrorism
Favor increased federal spending on Social Security
Favor ban on late-term (partial birth) abortion
Think federal government should make it
more difficult to buy guns
Voted for George W Bush in
Alixandra Yanus from 2004 American National Study
What can you infer based on this data?

22. Socio Economic more personal wealth = conservative views
lower taxes and more personal freedoms
Lower class tends to be economically liberal, but socially conservative
Why
those with more money want to keep it
less money want to benefit from liberal backed taxpayer funded programs

23. Group Differences Education
Higher education leads to
more tolerance of diversity
increased political activity
Contradictions
higher degrees = more wealth = conservative
Liberalizing effects of college, Bennington College Study

24. Group Differences - Race
African American closely aligned with Democratic Party
New Deal (1930’s) and Civil Rights (1960’s)
Hispanics now the largest minority group
Tend to vote Democratic

25. Group Differences - Race
Data compiled and analyzed by Alixandra B. Yanus from the 2004 American nationa l Election Study.

26. The American People
Figure 6.1

27. Group Differences - Race
Projected to become a minority majority society
Until recently, African Americans were the largest minority group and have increased their political power
Hispanics now outnumber African Americans.
Simpson-Mazzoli Act: requires employers document citizenship of employees to discourage employment of illegal immigrants

28. Participation and Civic Responsibility
Civic participation for the common good of society.
Individuals can make a difference.
Yet modern day voter turnout continues to drop
population growth?
voter apathy?
political efficacy?
Does not accurately reflect will of majority
Empowers interest groups
weakens democracy

29. Voter Influences Strong Influences Weak Influences
Rely on party labels
Candidate appeal
Positions on specific issues
State of the economy is the most important issue (taxes, job programs, etc.)
Weak Influences
Running Mates
Media Ads
Presidential Debates
“lesser of two evils” but still stick with party candidate

30. Other Voter Influences
Crisis/War → patriotism, reactions to national threats
Age → Senior citizens vote more often
Income → limited income cannot afford to vote
Religion → rural voter turnouts tend to be high and conservative; key in Southern states
Electoral Power → singular vote less valuable if majority is clear
Apathy → platforms similar, one sided, turnout is reduced

31. Polls: Yes or No Support Critics contributes to the democratic process
way for the public to express opinions
enables political leaders to understand and implement public preferences on key issues
turn leaders into followers.
Polls can also be used to manipulate public opinion.
Bandwagon Effect
Bradley Effect

32. Understanding Opinion
Polling is a means to assess public opinion on issues or a candidate
Media can use/misuse polls
Politics becomes a horse race
George Gallup – Founder of modern day polling (1935)
2016 showed that polls can get it wrong

34. Conducting Polls Gallup got it right! Straw Polls Literary Digest
Correctly predicted from
Sent survey to voters from the phone book and state vehicle registration lists
In 1936 predicted Alfred Landon would defeat FDR
Problems with their polling:
Great Depression – Only wealthy owned phone or cars
Only motivated voters returned the survey
Gallup got it right!

35. Types of Polls Internet Polls – Not reliable
Push Polls – Intended to influence your opinion
Tracking Polls – Same question asked over time
Exit Polls – Conducted at polling places
Focus Group – Conversations on the issues

36. Steps in Polling Define population to be surveyed
Construct a sample based on a representative group of the population
Construct the questions carefully to avoid bias.
Conduct the Poll
Analyze the data

37. “Push Poll”

38. Types of Polls Approval Ratings – President’s job performance
High: Truman after the dropping of the Atomic Bomb; George W. Bush after 9/11
Margin of error – usually the most valid polls are +/- 3%
Honesty in those being surveyed?
NYTimes and all major polls predicted Clinton would win in 2016
Why?
Perceived majority that favored Clinton and responders chose not to reveal true intention
Low voter turnout
Uninformed public

43. What Polls Reveal
The democratic process is based on an informed society
Public opinions polls reveal an alarming lack of public knowledge about the American political system
A national poll found that 74% of people could name the 3 stooges but only 42% could name the three branches.

44. What Polls Reveal
Since the 1950’s, Americans have become less trusting of their leaders and political institutions.
Now only about 25% of the public trust the government most of the time or always.
linked to decline in political efficacy
the belief that one’s political participation matters

45. How Americans Participate in Politics
Political Participation:
All the activities used by citizens to influence the selection of political leaders or the policies they pursue.
Conventional Participation
Voting in elections
Working in campaigns / running for office
Contacting elected officials

46. How Americans Participate in Politics
Protest as Participation
Protest: achieve policy changes through dramatic and unconventional tactics.
Civil disobedience: reflects a conscious decision to break a law believed to be immoral and to suffer the consequences.

47. How Americans Participate in Politics
Class, Inequality, and Participation
Figure 6.5

48. Homework Due: 1 week from today!
Students are to create a political poll based on a specific public policy question.
The poll should include 5 questions on a specific policy.
Minimum of 20 people to be interviewed. You may work with one other person.
Do not ask teachers!
Break the poll results down by gender, race and age (18-30), (31-40), (41-50) (51-60), (60+)
Create some type of graph (bar, pie chart, line, etc.) to also represent your results