1. UNIT III- Political Beliefs

2. Evaluate the following quote
“…it is entirely the fault of the man himself if he cannot succeed”
How do you think Americans answer this question?

3. Political culture is an overall set of values widely shared within a society.
For example, there is agreement among many ethnic groups about the value of equality.
Public Opinion is the distribution of the population’s beliefs about politics and policy issues

5. Political Socialization
“the process through which and individual acquires [their] particular political orientation”
Orientation grows firmer with age
The Process of Political Socialization
Family
Mass Media
School
Political Learning

7. Sources of Political Culture
The American Revolution was fought primarily over Liberty. The Constitution reflected an effort to reconcile personal liberty with the needs of social control.
The adversarial spirit of American political culture reflects a preoccupation with rights but a long-standing distrust of authority. Why?
Experiences with British
Human nature

8. Support of the Government
Since the 1950’s, there has been a steady decline in the proportion of Americans who say they trust the government to do the right thing.
WHY?

10. Why the decline? “Divided Government” “policy gridlock”
Frustration with the government process
Heightened partisan atmosphere.
Confirmation process has been slowed, stopped, or circumvented.
“Bowling Alone”

12. Consequences of the Decline in Support?
People are more likely to protest government’s policies
There is a significant decline in voting
An increased dependence on third-party identifiers who feel alienated from the two major political parties.
More non-conventional participation

13. Political Efficacy in the United States
Definition: citizen’s capacity to understand and influence political events
Political efficacy has two parts
Internal efficacy- Confidence in one’s ability to understand and influence events
External efficacy- Belief that system will respond to citizens
Not shaped by particular events
Declined steadily since the 1960s
Americans seem to believe that government is becoming too big to respond to individual preferences
Comparison: efficacy is still much higher among Americans than among Europeans

14. Political Behaviors

15. Political Participation
“all the activities used by citizens to influence the selection of political leaders or the policies they pursue”
Linkage institutions are the political channels through which people’s concerns become political issues on the policy agenda.
Examples: media, interest groups, political parties

16. Forms of Participation
Conventional methods: voting, working on a campaign, contacting elected officials
Protest
Grass roots campaigns encourage citizens to get out and vote.
Civil disobedience: a form of political participation that reflects a conscious decision to break a law believed to be immoral and to suffer the consequences.
Joining an interest group or political party
Donate money to a campaign
Community Service- young people’s participation in civic activities has reached all-time highs for those 30 and below.

17. Electoral/Non-electoral Political Participation Among Anglo Whites, African Americans, and Latinos

19. Table 8.6: Participation Beyond Voting in Fourteen Democracies
Insert table 8.6 (formerly 6.6 in 9e)

20. Voter Turnout
Key Questions: What is an average turnout in a Presidential election? In a “mid term” election? Off year? Primary? Closed primary?
Key Trend: Federal government taken more control of the voter process since Constitution written through registration requirements and suffrage laws.
GOOD RULE OF THUMB: “Voting is a matter of habit. The more frequently a person has voted in the past, the most likely they will in the current election.”
What are the implications of this statement?

23. Voter Participation in Presidential Elections, 1860-2004

24. Obstacles to Voting: Why Don’t People Vote?

25. Obstacles to Voting: Why Don’t People Vote?
Voter Registration
Single Day, Tuesday Voting
Apathy
Expansion of suffrage
Greater youthfulness of population and presence of growing number of minorities eligible to vote.
Political parties are not as effective as once were in mobilizing voters to get to polls
Other issues:
Citizenship
Disfranchisement of certain groups (felons, the mentally incompetent)
Residency
Need to show identification
Generally have to vote in person
Closed primaries
*Surprisingly, there is no correlation between distrust of political leaders and not voting.*

26. What causes people to vote?
Party Identification (#1 factor in determining who votes)
Candidates
Policy
High political efficacy
Those who see policy differences among voters are more likely to vote. When major differences exist, the most likely voters will turn out because they feel like they can steer policies by their choices.

27. Who is more likely to vote?
Age- older voter, more likely to vote, but drops off after getting too old.
Education: More education = more likely to vote. Most important factor
Religious
High income
Race – African American, Hispanic, and Asian (most unrepresented groups of American voters)
Gender: Female = more likely to vote
Marital Status: Married = more likely to vote
Union Membership: Union member = more likely to vote
Traits are cumulative– possessing several adds up