1. Public Opinion

2. Public Opinion
Did the Framer’s intend for our government to mirror public opinion?
What part of our government protects against public opinion or “popular passions”?

3. Checks on American Govt. from Public Opinion
Representative govt.
(Federalist 10 & creation of republic)
Federalism
Separation of powers
BOR
Independent judiciary

4. Public Opinion
The attitudes, perceptions, and viewpoints individuals hold about government and politics
Influenced by political culture and political socialization
Skewed by limited political education and efficacy
Shaped by government, interest groups, and mass media

5. Development of Polls Based on the ideas of Geogre Gallup Random Sample
Valid Questions
Clear, fair, unbiased, not misleading
Control of poll
Tone of question, basic knowledge of issues
Anaylysis
Sampling errors (+ or – 3%), time and place of poll

6. Political Socialization
Process through which an individual acquires political opinions and assimilates into our nation’s political system
Agents of socialization
Family
School
Peer Groups
Mass Media

7. Factors that Affect Public Opinion

8. Religion
Religious influences on opinion most pronounced on social issues
Jews are the most liberal demographic group today
Catholics tend to be liberal
Protestants tend to be conservative
Fundamentalist Christians (born again or evangelicals) are the most conservative groups today socially
Christian Coalition- Republican affiliation, was once very powerful grassroots organization
Atheist or agnostics are more liberal than conservative

9. Gender Gap Women are more likely to support the Democratic party
Men have become increasingly Republican since the 1960s
Biggest reason for gap: size of govt., gun control, spending programs aimed at poor, and gay rights, environmental protection, universal healthcare
Since the 1980s women have voted at higher rates then men

10. Education Increased schooling leads to greater political activity
College tends to have a liberalizing affect on students
Students at the most prestigious or selective colleges are the most liberal of all

11. Married v. Unmarried
Singles are more likely to vote for Democratic candidates
Married voters are more likely to support Republicans

12. Sexual Orientation
Homosexuals tend to side with liberal policies especially regarding social issues
Homosexuals concentrated in urban areas
Strong religious affiliations compel most heterosexuals to deny equal rights to homosexuals

13. Social Class Americans vote less based on class than Europeans
The main reason is COLLEGE- the great equalizer of the social classes.
This factor has recently been the most unclear and hardest trait to predict

14. Social Class Lower-class Limited education
Prefer more government economic intervention
Tend to vote Democrat, but low voter turnout
Working-class (blue-collar)
Tend to vote Democrat, but subject to other influences
White blue-collar workers tend to vote more Republican
Middle-class (white-collar)
Tend to be split and dependent on other influences
Upper-class
Tend to vote Republican with pro-business policies and less government economic intrusion

15. Race and Ethnicity Whites vote more Republican
Support death penalty, more defense spending
Blacks vote more Democrat
Affirmative action, national healthcare
Hispanics vote more Democrat
immigration
Asians vote more Republican
Conservative culture
2008 Democratic primary campaign between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton

16. Region New England - more liberal
Southeast/Bible Belt - more conservative
Midwest - more conservative
Pacific - more liberal
Urban - more liberal/Democratic
Suburbs/small towns - more conservative
Rural - more conservative/Republican
“Solid South”

17. Cleavages in Public Opinion
Public opinions are never absolute and always overlap
Examples:
Blacks vote Democrat due to support on affirmative action and equality policies, but most blacks are against gay marriage
Cubans vote Republican despite majority of Hispanics voting Democrat for immigration policies
A blue-collar worker would vote Democrat for pro-union policies, but votes Republican due to conservative religious traditions
Though men tend to vote more Republican than women, most men support pro-choice policies