Unit II

1. Unit II

2. The Socializationof politics = • The development of traditions, values and ideologies of the American political animal. • HOW is political socialization acquired? • More through formal or informal learning? • Agents of political socialization? • a. families • b. mass media • c. tradition + customs • d. schools • Which is the primary source?

3. American Political Culture • Equality of Opportunity • Individual Freedom • Representative Democracy

4. Equal Opportunity v Equal Results • Equality of Opportunity • A view that it is wrong to use race or sex either to discriminate against or give preferential treatment to minorities or women • Equality of Results • A view that government should do everything in its power to guarantee all a standard quality of life

5. America’s Demographics:Who are we? • Demographics = science of population changes • Gender • Occupation • Race • Religion • social class • Three major demographic changes in U.S. • Minority Majority • Regional Shifts • Graying of America

6. Minority Majority • Census building - every 10 yrs since 1790 • a “Nation of nations” LBJ said. . . • Immigrants: • First wave, pre-Civil War -- NW Europeans • 2nd wave, post-Civil War – S & E Europeans • 3rd Wave, after WWII - Hispanics + Asians • Current immigration policy? • Minority/majority is influencing the great melting pot • In the next few decades – Whites predicted to no longer be the majority of society • Hispanics now the largest minority group.

7. What will the growth of the Minority Majority mean for politics in the U.S.? “Minority-Majority” emerging

8. Simpson/Mazzoli Act (1987) requires employers to document the citizenship of employees or face fines. • Concerns? • Should government benefits be denied to people who are not legal residents? • Act now viewed as a dismal failure • Asian influx has brought an educated elite into America. . .the SUPERACHIEVERS! • the typical downtrodden immigrant now is highly educated • Even with casinos, Native Americans maintain the most dismal ranking in acquiring the American dream.

9. America’s Demographics: Who are we? • REGIONAL SHIFTS - Demographics have changed with our mobility - From the Rust Belt…PA, OH, MI to the Sun Belt …South and West – FLORIDA - Dramatic changes in FL & TX from “Frost Belt” - Cause political changes every 10 years after census - REAPPORTIONMENT of the 435 seats in the House - FL now has 27 House seats, 29 electoral votes!

10. GRAY POWER • “Organized influence exerted by seniors.” • For 1st time in U.S. history, the “senior” segment of the population has become largest segment of the population • Baby boomers now represent 26% of the population and 40% of the economy • They will collect approximately $5 trillion in Social Security benefits! • AARP is the largest special interest group today & possesses the most political clout

11. Group Factors that Affect Public Opinion & Political Ideology: • Race/Ethnicity: Affiliations are based on freedom-equality issues and socioeconomic conditions • White-Favor Republican • Black-Overwhelmingly favor Democrats • Hispanic • Overwhelmingly favor Democrats • Except Cubans • Asian-relatively neutral

12. Progression of Race and Voting • 15th Amendment (1870) • The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude. • 24th Amendment (1964) • Prohibits a poll tax as qualification to vote • Voting Rights Act (1965) • Prevents states from denying citizens the right to vote based on race. • Helps enforce the 15th Amendment.

13. Group Factors that Affect Public Opinion & Political Ideology: • The Gender Gap • Differences in political views and voting behavior of men and women • Men tend to favor • Republicans • Conservatives • Women tend to favor • Democrats • Liberals

14. Role of Government: Doing too much? Yes: women (50%); men (66%) Social Programs: Favor cuts? Favor: women (47%) men (60%) Should more be done to expand good, affordable child care, or should it be left to families and individuals? Do more: women (63%); men (41%) Should fed government guarantee medical care? Yes: women (69%) men (58%) Poverty and homelessness important: One of most impt probs: wom(63%); men 44% Should affirmative action be continued or abolished? Abolished: wom 36%, men 52% Do you think women have equal job opps No: women 69% men 59% Differences between Men and Women

15. Group Factors that Affect Public Opinion & Political Ideology: FAMILY INCOME LEVEL The higher one’s income, the more likely they are to… • Register to vote • Vote • Vote Republican

16. Effect of Education: The more education one has the more likely they will: • Register to vote • Vote • Vote Democrat • (at least in the beginning) • Participate in various methods

17. Group Factors ….. Religion • Jewish persons & Black Protestants are generally the most liberal of all religious groups • Catholics • Liberal EXCEPT on social issues • Protestants • Conservative, particularly in South / Bible Belt • Jews • Liberal Democrats

18. Regional Factors that Affect Public Opinion & Political Ideology: Urban v. Suburbanv. Rural America • Population Density • The more people living in your area, the more democratic your area tends to be • Higher populated cities tend to benefit more from federal spending • More government services are needed in densely populated areas

19. Region • South • Traditionally votes heavily Republican • Many Christian conservatives • East Coast (Northeast) • Large ethnic mix, heavily unionized, large urban areas • Most liberal region of the country, Democrats • Midwest tends to be a mixture of the two ideologies • Has heavy union activity….Democrats (MI, IL,) • Also has large amount of rural areas/farmers … conservative Republicans (IA, MO…) • West Coast • Traditionally liberal; environmental concerns • Some large urban areas • Getting a bit more of a mixture due to migration patterns

20. Region • Summary of Voting trends by region • Northeast • Democrat • Midwest • Republican • South • Republican • West • Democrat • Swing States • Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania

22. 2012 ELECTORAL VOTES Democratic Party - a net loss of six electoral votes in safe states, for a national total of 242 Republican Party - a net gain of seven electoral votes in safe states, for a national total of 181 Swing states a net loss of one, for a national total of 115.

23. How do we know how America is changing? • POLLING! • Public Opinion: • An aggregate of the individual views, attitudes, and beliefs about a particular topic, expressed by a significant proportion of a community Public Opinion Polls are conducted by news organizations, politicians, candidates, interest groups

24. the more “random” the better. . • everyone should have a chance of being selected. . • 1,000 to 1,500 usually enough • Samples are not perfect – there is a sampling error of about 3-4% in a typical poll Early 1950’s George Gallup “polled” a microcosm of American political thought – a Sample

25. Supporters: Polls assist politicians in “detecting” public preferences. . .Are there shifts in thinking . . . Should they create possible “shifts” in policy making? • Dectractors: It has become the issue of selling policy instead of possibly doing what’s right! - avoiding compromises to appease radical shifts. Politicians love polls when they agree with them, they hate them when they disagree. • Bandwagon effects. . .jump on board. . .instead of being prudent and doing your own research • Elections too often tied to them. . .takes over issue development. • Exit pollcan control elections. • For ex., the Florida debacle in the 2000 election. Gore won Florida, and then lost Florida. . .and then it was too close to call.….. • The questions are the key. . .and a major problem is that too often they are misleading!

26. Determining Poll Legitimacy • Who conducted/sponsored the poll? • Neutral polling organizations would produce the most accurate results • Political parties or other biased organizations would not • How many persons were interviewed? • Minimum 1,000 people • Reduces the margin of error • Who was interviewed? • Many people choose not to participate in polls; this can skew the results • How were the questions worded? • Pollsters must be careful how to ask the question • When was the poll conducted? • Temporary passions can also skew the results • How was the poll conducted? • Phone, Internet, On the street

27. Types of Polls • Exit Polls • Questioned right after voting • Indicates who people voted for • Census Tracks/Tracking Polls • Questioning specific groups within the population • Indicates the public’s tendencies across a specific period of time

28. Our questions… • Who are we as a society? • More diverse, more spread out, and older! • How we learn about politics? • Family, the media, and school, just to start. • How do we measure what we believe as a society? • Through polls, which may or may not be accurate. • What do we believe as a society? • That we’re all over the place and that sometimes labels mean more than anything else. • How do we participate in politics? • From the inside or the outside: by trying to change the system or protesting the system to make a change.

29. Political participation: The many forms-- • HOW DO WE PARTICIPATE? • 1. Voting. Only 50% vote in national elections. Voters see a lack of political efficacy. . .not being able to have a political “effect” on society through the political process - they have no influence. • 2. Join SIGS – special interest groups • 3. Give $$$$ to SIGS thru PACS • 4. Contacting gov’t officials on a regular basis • 5. Working on a campaign • 6. Civil disobedience – think Rosa Parks! • 7. Violence ….. NOT a legal method of participation • WHO PARTICIPATES? • Age and socio-economic status matters – those with more participate more. . . and get more!

30. Types of Political Participation

31. POLITICAL IDEOLOGIES& POLITICAL PARTIES Democrats Republicans & & Liberals Conservatives

32. What is a Political Continuum? A person’s views on the issues help determine where they fall on the political spectrum. The labels used on the spectrum are not pure categories, but they make up a continuum, or value line, and citizens and politicians fall somewhere on that line depending on what they believe.

33. ATTITUDES REGARDING POLITICAL & SOCIAL IDEALS IN THE U.S. HAVE BEEN GIVEN LABELS: LIBERALS or CONSERVATIVES • These labels are part of a political spectrum that goes from the Left (extremely liberal) to the Right (extremely conservative). • To determine your placement, you have to assess where you stand on a number of social (people-related), economic (money-related), and political (governmental) issues. • Take the PBS Quiz at: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/2012/08/where-do-you-fit-introducing-the-pewnewshour-political-party-quiz.html

34. LEFT vs. RIGHT The terms came from the French where the liberal parties traditionally sat to the left and the conservative parties sat to the right. Two major factors shape political views: The first is how much change a person is willing to have within their society and government. The second deals with how much government involvement in the economy a person calls for.

36. LIBERAL vs. CONSERVATIVE IDEALS: The federal government should take a very active and large role in the domestic affairs of all the nation’s citizens The federal government’s role is too big & should not be expanded further – more control should be given to state and local governments over their own citizens CONSERVATIVE LIBERAL

37. LIBERAL vs. CONSERVATIVE IDEALS: CONSERVATIVE • National Security: • Strong military; unilateralism • Economic Policy: • Free markets; limited role of fed. gov’t in regulating business; balanced budget; low taxes; tax cuts LIBERAL • National Security: • Adequate military; multilateralism; United Nations • Economic Policy: • Fed. Gov’t regulation of business; deficits when necessary; favor government spending

38. LIBERAL v. CONSERVATIVE – Social Issues: LIBERAL CONSERVATIVE • Social safety net (gov’t) • Public Welfare • National healthcare • Pro-affirmative action • Pro-choice • Anti-prayer in school • Strict separation of church & state • Tolerance for many religions • Protection of defendants’ rights • Gay marriage/civil unions • High value on change and principles of tolerance & diversity. • Individual responsibility • Private charity • Private health coverage • Anti-affirmative action • Pro-life • Pro-prayer in school • Traditional Judeo-Christian religious values • Opposed to “coddling” criminals • Traditional family and marriage • High value on principles of community, tradition, law & order, family & religious values.

40. What is a Radical? Far left of the political spectrum Call for wide-sweeping rapid change in the basic structure of the political, social, or economic system. Wlling to resort to extreme methods to bring about change, including the use of violence and revolution. V.I. Lenin: Mastermind of the Russian Revolution and Father of the Soviet Union

41. What is a Liberal? Liberals believe that the government should be actively involved in the promotion of social welfare of a nation’s citizens. Usually call for peaceful, gradual change within the existing political system. Reject violent revolution as a way of changing the way things are, often called the status quo. Dr. Rev. Martin Luther King

42. What is a Moderate? Moderates may share viewpoints with both liberals and conservatives. Seen as tolerant of other people’s views, and they do not hold extreme views of their own. Advocate a “go slow,” “wait-and-see” approach to social or political change. Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-CT) is generally seen as a moderate.

43. What is a Conservative? Favor keeping things the way they are or maintaining the status quo Conservatives are usually hesitant or cautious about adopting new policies, especially if they involve government activism in some way. The less government there is, the better. They agree with Jefferson’s view that “the best government governs least.” Former California Governor and U.S. President Ronald Reagan

44. What is a Reactionary? Far right of the ideological spectrum Want to go back to the way things were—the “good ole’ days.” Often willing to use extreme methods, such as repressive use of government power, to achieve their goals. Scapegoating is common. The term “reactionary is generally negative. A positive way to say the same thing is “arch-conservative.” Hitler’s Mein Kampf is a typical reactionary manifesto

45. Classic Liberals Radical Liberals Blue Dog Democrats Conservative Democrats Dixiecrats anti-civil rights Democrats Expanded views of Liberals & Conservatives: • True Conservatives • Moderate Conservatives • Social Far Right • Economic Conservatives “To be young and a conservative is to have no heart, to be old and a liberal is to have no mind.” Winston Churchill 

46. American Politicians on the Spectrum: A historical worldview:

48. More views on the Political Spectrum