1. WHY DO PEOPLE THINK THE WAY THEY DO ABOUT GOVERNANCE?
The American Political Landscape

3. Values and Political Culture
Remember?  Political Culture is “A distinctive, patterned way of thinking about how political and economic life ought to be carried out.”
Remember?  Ideology is “An internally consistent set of beliefs and values about the policies the government ought to pursue.”

4. Political Socialization:
The process in which individuals acquire the information, beliefs, attitudes and values that help them comprehend the workings of a political system and orient themselves within it.

5. Socialization = “Opinion Formation”
Political Socialization and Other Factors That Influence Opinion Formation
Political attitudes are grounded in values. We learn our values by a process known as political socialization.
Socialization = “Opinion Formation”
One creates a “political ideology” through opinion formation.

6. So, HOW did I get these opinions?
Many factors influence opinion formation.
The Family
The Mass Media
School and Peers
The Impact of Events
Social/economic groups
Religion, Race,
Education, Income,
Gender, Region

7. FAMILY: Generally, we imitate family views Schools
Teach us about organizing society
Teach us about rules and authority
Teach us PATRIOTISM
College tends to LIBERALIZE
Mass Media
Decide what is news and hence what I think about
Help create Party Identification
POLITICAL EFFICACY (trust in government)
Internal: “I FEEL I can influence government”
External: “I FEEL the government is able to handle my concerns”
THESE ARE BOTH DECLINING OVER LAST SEVERAL DECADES

8. When did I start to care about Politics? Wait, do I care about Politics?
Preschool: AUTHORITY, i.e. Rules
Elementary School: First Concept of Government as an institution, “Politicians are honest and benevolent”
Adolescence: Start to Identify with a Political Party, Starting to think in “Conservative/Liberal” terms
Adulthood: During this period there is generally no change in political beliefs, Concern for job and personal welfare drives opinion, feelings of responsibility for continuity of U.S. politics

9. Does Where I Live Influence My Opinion? Of Course!

10. What is Public Opinion?
Public opinion is 'what the people think about an issue or set of issues at any given point in time' and opinions are normally measured by opinion polls.