1. Public Opinion and Political Action
Government in America: People, Politics, and Policy
Edwards/Wattenberg
16th edition
Chapter 6
Public Opinion and Political Action

2. Introduction Public Opinion Demography Census
The distribution of the population’s beliefs about politics and policy issues
Studying public opinion is NOT an easy task in America because there is very little that most Americans agree about
Demography
The science of population changes
Census
A valuable tool for understanding population changes
Required every 10 years by the Constitution
Most recent was in 2010
Many people don’t respond to the census
Beyond representation, why is the census important?

3. The American People The Immigrant Society
United States is a nation of immigrants.
There are about 1 million new legal immigrants each year, and possibly 500,000 a year who come into the country illegally
Three waves of Immigration:
Northwestern Europeans (prior to late 19th Century)
Southern and eastern Europeans (late 19th and early 20th centuries), they entered through Ellis Island
Hispanics and Asians (late 20th century)

4. The American People The American Melting Pot
Melting Pot: the mixing of cultures, ideas, and peoples that has changed the American nation
Is this a valid view of America today?
Minority Majority: the emergence of a non-Caucasian majority
When will it happen?
What are the causes?

5. The American People
Figure 6.1

6. The American People The American Melting Pot (continued)
African Americans face a legacy of racism.
Hispanics are the largest minority group; faced with the problem of illegal immigration.
Simpson-Mazzoli Act: requires employers document immigration status of employees to see if they’re eligible to work in the US
Asian immigration has been driven by a new class of professional workers.
Native Americans: indigenous and disadvantaged
Melting Pot
Political culture is an overall set of values widely shared within a society.

7. The American People The Regional Shift
Population shift from east to west
Reapportionment: the process of reallocating seats in the House of Representatives every 10 years on the basis of the results of the census
Remember, the overall number in the House stays at 435, but the number of reps per state can change with population shifts
Reapportionment after the 2010 Census
Figure 6.2

8. The American People The Graying of America
Fastest growing age group is over 65. Why is that true?
Problem: Potential drain on Social Security
Pay as you go system
In 1942, 42 workers per retiree
In 2040, 2 workers per retiree

9. How Americans Learn About Politics: Political Socialization
“the process through which an individual acquires [their] particular political orientation”
Orientation and participation grow firmer with age
The Process of Political Socialization
The Family
Political leanings of children often mirror their parents’ leanings

10. How Americans Learn About Politics: Political Socialization
The Process of Political Socialization (continued)
The Mass Media
Chief source of information as children age
Generation gap is viewing television news
School
Used by government to socialize young into political culture
Better-educated citizens are more likely to vote and are more knowledgeable about politics and policy.

11. How American Learn About Politics: Political Socialization

12. Measuring Public Opinion and Political Information
How Polls Are Conducted
Sample: a small proportion of people who are chosen in a survey to be representative of the whole
Random Sampling: the key technique employed by sophisticated survey researchers which operates on the principle that everyone should have an equal probability of being selected for the sample
Sampling Error: the level of confidence in the findings of a public opinion poll
Random-digit dialing: method used by pollsters to place telephone calls randomly to both listed and unlisted numbers when conducting a survey

13. Measuring Public Opinion and Political Information
The Role of Polls in American Democracy
Polls help politicians detect public preferences.
But critics say polls make politicians think more about following than leading public
Even though politicians do not track opinion to make policy
Polls may distort election process

14. Measuring Public Opinion and Political Information
The Role of Polls in American Democracy (continued)
Exit Polls: used by the media to predict election day winners
May discourage people from voting
2000 presidential election in Florida
Question wording may affect survey results

15. Measuring Public Opinion and Political Information
What Polls Reveal About Americans’ Political Information
Americans don’t know much about politics.
Americans may know their basic beliefs but not how that affects policies of the government.
The Decline of Trust in Government
Since 1964, trust in government has declined.
What events caused that drop?
Has trust in government spiked in recent years? Why? Has it remained high?

16. FIGURE 6.4 The Decline of trust in government, 1958–2012

17. What Americans Value: Political Ideologies
Political Ideology:
A coherent set of beliefs about politics, public policy, and public purpose
Who Are the Liberals and Conservatives?
Predominance of conservative over liberal thinking
Currently about 38% conservative, 24% liberal, 38% moderate
Gender gap: women tend to be less conservative than men
Ideological variation by religion too. What effect does religion have on ideology?

18. Liberal vs. Conservative

19. 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
What is the most common form of participation?
Conventional Participation
Voting in elections
Working in campaigns or running for office
Contacting elected officials

20. How Americans Participate in Politics
Unconventional Participation
Protest: a form of political participation designed to achieve policy changes through dramatic and unconventional tactics
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
Henry David Thoreau
Mohandas Gandhi
Martin Luther King, Jr.

21. How Americans Participate in Politics
Class, Inequality, andParticipation
Figure 6.5

22. Understanding Public Opinion and Political Action
Public Attitudes Toward the Scope of Government
Many people have no opinion about scope of government.
Public opinion is inconsistent, which may lead to policy gridlock.
Democracy, Public Opinion, and Political Action
Americans select leaders, but do they do so wisely?
If people know little about candidates’ issues, how can they?
People vote more for performance than policy.

23. Summary American society is ethnically diverse and changing.
Knowing public opinion is important to a democracy, just as polling has costs and benefits.
Americans know little about politics.
Political participation is generally low.