The American Political Landscape

1. The American Political Landscape Chapter 5

2. Ethnocentrism • Selective perception based on one’s background, attitudes, and biases.

3. Why are Americans different?!

4. Demographics • Where we live • Age • Education • Religion • Occupation • Gender • And many more

5. What demographics give us… • Political predispositions: essentially predictable behavior • Reinforcing cleavages: divisions within society that reinforce one another, making groups more homogeneous or similar • Cross-cutting cleavages: divisions within society that cut across demographic categories to produce groups that are more heterogeneous or different

6. Sectional Differences • The South still most distinct region of the U.S. • Manufacturing vs. agriculture • Slavery • Reconstruction • Race relations

7. State and Local Identity • What is our state and local identity?

8. Where We Live • The majority of Americans live in metropolitan areas. • Midwest still more rural • Country of migration

9. Race and Ethnicity Race can be defined as a grouping of human beings with distinctive physical characteristics determined by genetic inheritance Ethnicity is a social division based on national origin, religion, language, often within the same race, and includes a sense of attachment to that group. African Americans, Asian Americans, Native Americans, Hispanics. Who We Are

10. The Ties of Ethnicity • Except for Native Americans we all have immigrant ancestors • 17.3 million came to U.S. between 1900-1924

11. Gender • Women have not been able to vote for a hundred years yet. • Fears of reorganizing political system • Voting for war since they could not be drafted • Vote for prohibition

12. The Gender Gap • The difference between the political opinions or political behavior of men and of women. • 2004 election women 53% men 47% • Women favor democrats, 3% in 2004, 13% approx. in 2008.

13. 2004 campaign a huge issue 2008 not a major issue, but was voted on in three states as ballot initiative; California, Arizona, and Florida. All three voted to not allow same sex marriage. Sexual Orientation

14. Family Structure • “America use to be a land of father knows best, today we are a land of we are lucky if father knows he has a kid.” –Steven Colbert • Premarital sex is more approved of • Cohabitation more common • Contraception use increase • Estimates put 1/3 of all births as illegitimate • Divorce rates increased • 50% percent of first marriages, 67% of second and 74% of third marriages end in divorce

15. Frequently a source of violent conflict In America religious freedom is widely accepted Kennedy broke barrier of a Catholic as President Religion

16. 2000 and 2004 Bush proclaims to be destined by God to run for president 2008 accusations against Obama as Muslim Certain geographic areas coincide with religious demographic Religion

17. Education is most important when it comes to achieving wealth College costs increase while more and more qualify for admittance Wealth and Income

18. Occupation • History of U.S. from agricultural to industrial. • Majority now work in financial services (45%) or trade (21%)

19. Social Class • Socioeconomic status (SES): a division of the population based on occupation, income, and education.

20. Age • Older Americans vote more and more often. • Youth vote, and voter turnout in general has increased over the past few elections

21. Education • Effect not only economic well being, but also political participation and involvement • Percentages of graduates per race drop off significantly…college is not the shared experience many believe it to be.

22. We have our differences, but tend to unite anyway….especially in turbulent times. Unity in a Land of Diversity