1. Review What is a random sample? What is saliency?
What is political socialization and what is the biggest factor that impacts it?
What is the gender gap and what influence does it have on elections?

2. Cleavages and Ideology
Political Beliefs and Behaviors #4

3. Cleavages
Cleavages in public opinion are characteristics of individuals that account for differences in political values, opinions, and behavior. Important to recognize that no single feature of an individual’s life explains all, or even most, of that individual’s attitudes

4. Three Major Cleavages
Social Class
Race and Ethnicity
Region

5. Social Class
Social class is less important in the United States than it is in Europe (and has declined steadily since the 1940s).
Due to the rise of non-economic factors (social issues and foreign policy) as becoming factors in the liberal and conservative divide.
Differences that do remain: Unskilled workers are more likely to be Democrats than affluent white-collar workers.

6. Race and Ethnicity African Americans
Most consistently liberal group (close to 85% Democratic voting rate)
Younger blacks are more likely to identify Republican than older blacks (but still overwhelmingly Democratic)

7. Race and Ethnicity Agreement on: Getting tougher on crime Abortion
African Americans
White Americans
Agreement on:
Getting tougher on crime
Abortion
Dependency on Government Aid
The Power to Succed
More likely to support Affirmative Action
More likely to believe criminal justice system is biased
More likely to oppose use of military force
Less likely to believe we have a duty to join the military
Less likely to believe God is needed for a person to be moral
Less likely to support Affirmative Action
Less likely to believe criminal justice system is biased
Less likely to oppose use of military force
More likely to believe we have a duty to join the military
More likely to believe God is needed for a person to be moral

8. Race and Ethnicity Latinos and Asians
Information is not as widely available nor as conclusive as it is for African-Americans
Partially due to immigration histories and impact on culture
Less “unity” among the broad groups that make up the overall category of Latino or Asian

9. Race and Ethnicity Latinos
Tend to identify Democratic (with exception of Cubans) but not as much as African Americans.
Catholic Influence on Social Issues.
Asians
More identified with Republican Party than are Whites (although large generational difference)

10. Race and Ethnicity
More Liberal Less Liberal Blacks Latinos Whites Asians

11. Region

12. Region The “Solid” South
Significantly more Republican than any other region. (No Democratic Presidential candidate has won a majority of the White Southern Vote since LBJ in Obama received 30%)
More Socially Conservative
More accommodating to Business (less towards organized labor)
Similar Economic Beliefs

13. Region Why is the South more conservative? Rural Population vs. Urban
Distrust of Organized Labor
Strong Protestant Fundamentalism

14. Region The Northeast Has become more and more solidly Democratic
Partially due to population change (Since 1980 population has shifted from the North and East to the South and West).
Why?
Diverse population (larger population of Blacks and Latinos)
More urban centers than rural areas
Much more positive towards organized labor
Environmental concerns

15. Political Ideology
Ideology refers to a more or less consistent set of beliefs about what policies government ought to pursue
Measuring Ideology
Seeing how frequently people use broad categories to describe or justify their own views
Seeing to what extent a citizen’s policy preferences are consistent over time
Self identification does not yield much information
Most Americans are no ideological (not consistent)
Limitations of polling

16. Political Ideology Beyond “Liberal” and “Conservative”
Social Issues
Economic Issues
Pure Liberal
Libertarians
Populists
Pure Conservative
Liberal
Liberal
Liberal
Conservative
Conservative
Liberal
Conservative
Conservative

17. Elite Opinion and Influence
Elites (Also know as Activists) are those who have a disproportionate amount of some valued resource (money, information, etc)
Elites tend to have greater ideological consistency (More information and more interest in politics so they may see more relationships among issues).

18. Elite Opinion and Influence
Elites influence public opinion in two ways
Raise and Frame Political Issues
State norms by which to settle issues and define policy options
Limits on Elite Influence
Do not define economic, crime, and other problems that come from personal experience
Elites contradict each other
Impact of Internet