1. Public Opinion & Interest Groups
Chapter 8-9

2. Public Opinion Public opinion Can be very hard to determine
Attitudes held by a significant number of people concerning political issues.
Americans belong to many different groups with distinctive viewpoints.
Can be very hard to determine

3. Public Opinion Political Socialization
The process by which each person acquires political opinions

4. Factors that determine our opinions
Family
Parents’ opinions absorbed
Largest influence on our opinion
Young voters: more likely to be independent

5. Factors that determine our opinions
Religion
Protestants tend to be more conservative (individual morality)
Catholics & Jews, historically, have been more liberal (social justice)
Others: Not as historically predictable
Non-religious: usually more liberal

6. Factors that determine our opinions
Education
Learn about citizenship, national pride, great Americans
Take Government!
College has liberalizing effect

7. Factors that determine our opinions
Occupation
Social class, tax burden
Gender
Gender Gap: Men tend to be more conservative; Women more liberal
Social programs? Income?

8. Factors that determine our opinions
Peer Groups
Classmates, co-workers compare opinions
Historic Events
Civil War, Great Depression, Vietnam, 9-11
Current Recession

9. Factors that determine our opinions
Mass Media
TV, radio, newspapers, internet
TVs in 98% of American homes
1st Amendment guarantees rights of press to express opinions and expose scandals.
Lots of options for information, Varying quality

10. Mass Media How much does media shape opinions?
Does it have an agenda?
It should not tell us what to think.
It should tell us what to think about.
Bias
undertones of opinions
Propaganda
Technique of persuasion aimed at creating a belief, regardless of its validity

11. Persuasive Techniques Used In Political Advertising
Name-Calling
Using personal attacks on an opponent to distract voters from the real issues of the campaign
Transfer
Using symbols or images that evoke emotion to something unrelated, such as a candidate or proposition.
Bandwagon
Creating the impression that “everyone” supports a cause or candidate

12. Persuasive Techniques Used In Political Advertising
Plain Folks
The use of folksy or everyday images and language to show that the candidate is a regular person who understand the needs and concerns of the common people.
Testimonial
Having a well-known celebrity or personality endorse a candidate or proposal.

13. Persuasive Techniques Used In Political Advertising
Card-Stacking
Presenting facts, statistics, and other evidence that support only one side of an argument.
Glittering Generalities
Using vague, sweeping statements that appeal to voters emotionally, but don’t actually say much of anything specific.

14. Campaign Poster Analysis
Working in your groups…..
Analyze each campaign poster
Identify which techniques are being used
Determine if it is effective

15. Name-Calling

16. Card-Stacking
Plain Folk
Transfer

17. Transfer
Glittering Generalities
Bandwagon

18. Testimonial

19. Bandwagon
Transfer
Testimonial

20. Transfer

21. Transfer
Glittering Generalities

22. Card-Stacking

23. Which technique was more persuasive?
Name-Calling
Transfer
Bandwagon
Plain Folks
Card-Stacking
Testimonial
Glittering Generalities

24. Measuring Public Opinion
Elections
Best way to gauge public opinion
Almost all citizens are eligible to voice their opinion
How can we predict election results?

25. Measuring Public Opinion
Polls: 2 Types
1. Straw Polls
Ask a question to a large group and waits for responses
Radio hosts, websites
Not scientific
You cannot draw conclusions based on these results

26. Measuring Public Opinion
2. Scientific Polls
Ask a sample of the voters how they would vote
Must represent the voters
Proportions from each race, class, and region
Always has a margin for error (±3%)
Developed by Gallup Organization
Quota Poll: Constructed to reflect several major characteristics of the identified universe

27. Measuring Public Opinion
Poll 1:
Candidate A - 53%
Could be up to 58% or as low as 48%
Candidate B – 47%
Could be up to 52% or as low as 42%
(±5%)
This poll shows a statistical tie!

28. Measuring Public Opinion
Poll 2:
Candidate A - 53%
Could be up to 55% or as low as 51%
Candidate B – 47%
Could be up to 49% or as low as 45%
(±2%)
This poll shows a predictable result!

29. Art of Polling Random Sample of the population
Questions must be understandable
Questions must be asked fairly
Not leading the responder to one answer
Answer categories should be carefully considered
Approve, disapprove
Excellent, pretty good, fair, poor

30. Evaluating Polls When results are in… Polls are not elections!
Do polls report opinions or shape opinions?
Or both?
“Bandwagon effect”
Polls are not elections!

31. Evaluating Polls Assignment
Write THREE clear poll questions on the political topics of your choice
Include answer choices for each (yes, no; etc.)
Write TWO poll questions that contain bias or otherwise could NOT be used to draw conclusions
Finally, explain why each could not be used.

32. Chapter 9 – Interest Groups
Interest Groups – Private organizations whose members share common views and work to shape public policy.
Grassroots – political movements supported average voters
Nearly all Interest Groups use Lobbyists in D.C.
Supply information to elected officials
Testify before congressional committees as experts
Make campaign contributions

33. Interest Groups Interest groups DO NOT: They are NOT political parties
Nominate candidates
Try to win elections
They are NOT political parties
Examples of Interest Groups
MADD, NRA, PETA, AARP
Exxon, Boeing, National Association of Realtors, Verizon
Smaller institutions like colleges, hospitals, etc.

34. Interest Groups Criticisms of Interest Groups
Don’t always represent the interests of those they claim to speak for.
How much of the actual population do they represent?
In very rare cases, use tactics like bribery & threats