American Cynicism

American Cynicism • Do Americans participate in government? • Do Americans participate in social groups? • How do the American people feel towards their government? • What are some common explanations for American cynicism towards and disinterest in their own government?

Do Americans participate in government? • Voting • On average, voter turnout has been on the decline since the 1960’s • Other forms of political participation • Most evidence suggest that Americans still engage in forms of participation other than voting • Volunteering • Monetary donations • Protesting • Letter writing

Explanations for Low Voter Turnout • Voter apathy (people do not believe that their vote matters) • Candidates are increasingly similar (Ventura’s argument) • Voter registration difficult • Too many elections • Election day is problematic (especially with two income families)

Do Americans participate in social groups? • Putnam – No • Bowling Alone • Social capital is on the decline • Ladd – Yes • Ladd Report • Putnam’s evidence is not showing the entire picture • Which of them is correct?

Putnam’s Findings • Decline of Social Capital? • Putnam finds that in terms of social groups, Americans are participating at much lower rates • For example: • Bowling leagues, bridge clubs • PTA’s • Labor unions • Church groups • Local branches of interest groups

Putnam’s Explanations • Putnam’s explanations for the decline in group membership • Pressures of time and money (<10%) • Especially for two income families • Suburban sprawl (~10%) • People no longer live as close to each other, and no longer have the same neighborhood bonds • Television and other electronic entertainment (~25%) • Television and the internet have provided people with alternatives to group participation • Generational change (~50%) • Differences between the “Greatest Generation” and younger generations

Ladd Report • Group membership is not on the decline • While Putnam provides evidence that seems to show that Americans are not participating as much as in previous decades, this is not an accurate picture • While membership in some groups are on the decline, membership in similar groups is on the rise (PTA vs. PTO)

Public Opinion Polls: • Conducting large, national surveys/polls allows us to gauge what Americans think about a variety of issues • What is the most important problem facing the nation? • Presidential approval • Support for specific issues (war, tax cuts, etc.) • Levels of trust in government • Some polls are unscientific • What makes a poll legitimate?

Trends in Political Trust

Trends in Political Trust • NES Index: • "How much of the time do you think you can trust the government in Washington to do what is right-- just about always, most of the time or only some of the time?" • "Do you think that quite a few of the people running the government are crooked, not very many are, or do you think hardly any of them are crooked? • "Would you say the government is pretty much run by a few big interests looking out for themselves or that it is run for the benefit of all the people?"

Explaining Declining Levels of Trust • National events have shattered the image of a perfect government • U2 Incident • Vietnam • Watergate • Iran-Contra • Clinton scandals

Other Explanations: • Mills – The Power Elite • Many have the perception that regardless of what they do, most of the power is held by a select few • Stealth Democracy • Americans do not want to be bothered with the happenings of government • Citizens only want to know that they have the power to voice their disapproval if things get out of hand

American Cynicism