Chapter 6: Public Opinion & Political Action

1. Unit 2: Political Beliefs & Behaviors Chapter 6:Public Opinion & Political Action

2. I. The American People • A. In a Republic, citizens’ preference supposed to guide public policy, but difficult in America: • 1. Diversity • 2. large population • 3. citizens know little about politics! • B. Demographical changes (census data) shows changes across US: • 1. Once the melting pot, US now on path to minority majority by 2060: • a. Largest group African Americans • b. Latinos predicted to pass/be number one by early 21st century • c. Asian Americans the most skilled and best off group • d. Native Americans, the worst off group; least healthy, poorest & least educated

3. I. The American People cont… • C. Despite diversity Americans share Political Culture (overall set of values widely shared within a society) • D. last 60 years: • 1. population growth and move from north (northeast) to western & southern states • 2. Demographic shift brought political change seen in reapportionment process: • a. The fastest growing age group in US is citizens over age 65, AKA “Gray Power”, will be a strong political group due to active participation

4. II. Political Socialization:How do Americans learn about politics? • A. Political Socialization: the process through which an individual acquires his or her own political orientation • B. Agents of socialization: • 1. Family: politics a learned behavior, parents have monopoly on time & early social learning; predictor of young voter behavior = parents political leanings • 2. The media: “the new parent”; replaces parent as biggest source of information as children get older • 3. School: govt. use to instill a commitment to the basic values of the system regardless if democratic or authoritarian to help ensure supportive citizens, usually works best in very young years • C. Most American political learning is more informal than formal

5. III. Measuring public opinion & political information • A. Public Opinion: the distribution of people’s beliefs about politics & policy issues; product of political learning • B. Public opinion was 1st developed by George Gallup in 1932: • 1. rely on sample of the population (a small portion or population chosen to represent the whole) to measure public opinion • 2. random sampling: key to accuracy of a poll (everyone should have an equal probability of being chosen) • 3. Sampling error: no matter how perfect there is always a chance for some error • C. Most polling today done via phone through sampling digital dial: • 1. Supporters: • a. tool for democracy • b. keep up w/changing opinions on policy

6. III. Measuring public opinion & political information cont… • 2. Critics: it distorts the election process: • a. "bandwagon” effect: voters may support a candidate only because they see that others are doing so because of the poll • b. Exitpolls are the least accurate as they declare winners before voting is finished in parts of the country • c. Byaltering the wording of questions, pollsters can get pretty much any result they want • D. Polls have also revealed that the average American has a low level of political knowledge • E. However, due shared core beliefs, Americans make the system work

7. IV. What American value:Political ideologies • A. Americans tip more conservative than moderate/liberal : • 1. Who identifies as liberal or conservative varies according to age, gender, race, & socioeconomic status • 2. Group with more political clout tend to be more conservative • 3. Women are not minority since make up 54% of population, but are more disadvantaged than men which has created the gender gap, which means more likely to support Democratic candidates • B. To most people however, liberal/conservative or left/right has not much meaning; it has more meaning with the elites • C. These same elites are the ones more deeply entrenched in political ideology than the average American

8. V. How Americans participate in politics • A. Political participation: many activities used by citizens to influence the selection of political leaders or the policies they pursue: • 1. United States has a participatory political culture: • a. 51-60% vote in Presidential Elections • b. 39% vote in mid term elections (off-year) • c. Local election turn outs usually in 20% - 30% • B. 2 types of political participation: • 1. Conventional: widely accepted modes of influencing government: • Ex.:Voting, persuading others, ringing doorbells, running for office • 2. Unconventional: dramatic activities: • Ex.: Protesting, civil disobedience, and even violence

9. V. How Americans participate cont… • C. Protest: a form of political participation designed to achieve policy change through dramatic and unconventional tactics • 1. Civil disobedience: protestors consciously break laws they think are unjust; on of the hallmarks of the Civil Rights Movement • 2. The goal of most protests in US is to draw attention of government to a problem and not to overthrow that government • D. Political participation a class-biased activity w/ citizens of higher socioeconomic status participating more: • 1. differences decline when income & education kept equal, minorities actually participate more • 2. we want smaller govt. but more services we are coined as “ideological conservatives” & “operational liberals”