1. Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman

3. Chapter 6: Public Opinion and Political Action The American People How Americans Learn About Politics: Political Socialization Measuring Public Opinion and Political Information What Americans Value: Political Ideologies How Americans Participate in Politics Understanding Public Opinion and Political Action Summary

4. Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman Chapter Outline and Learning Objectives The American People LO 6.1: Identify demographic trends and their likely impact on American politics. How Americans Learn About Politics: Political Socialization How Americans Learn About Politics: Political Socialization LO 6.2: Outline how various forms of socialization shape political opinions.

5. Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman Chapter Outline and Learning Objectives Measuring Public Opinion and Political Information Measuring Public Opinion and Political Information LO 6.3: Explain how polls are conducted and what can be learned from them about American public opinion. What Americans Value: Political Ideologies What Americans Value: Political Ideologies LO 6.4: Assess the influence of political ideology on Americans’ political thinking and behavior.

6. Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman Chapter Outline and Learning Objectives How Americans Participate in Politics LO 6.5: Classify forms of political participation into two broad types. Understanding Public Opinion and Political Action Understanding Public Opinion and Political Action LO 6.6: Analyze how public opinion about the scope of government guides political behavior.

7. The American People LO 6.1: Identify demographic trends and their likely impact on American politics. The Immigrant Society The American Melting Pot The Regional Shift The Graying of America To Learning Objectives Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman

8. The American People The Immigrant Society United States is a nation of immigrants. Three waves of immigration into the United States are mainly (1) Northwestern Europeans prior to late 19 th Century, (2) Southern and eastern Europeans in late 19 th and early 20 th centuries, and (3) Hispanics and Asians in late 20 th century. LO 6.1 To Learning Objectives

9. Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman The American People The American Melting Pot Melting pot is the mixing of cultures, ideas, and peoples that has changed the American nation. Minority majority is the emergence of a non-Caucasian majority. Political culture is an overall set of values widely shared within a society. LO 6.1 To Learning Objectives

10. LO 6.1 To Learning Objectives Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman

11. LO 6.1 To Learning Objectives Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman

12. The American People The Regional Shift Much of America’s population growth since World War II has been centered in the West and South. Reapportionment is the process of reallocating seats in the House of Representatives every 10 years on the basis of the results of the census. LO 6.1 To Learning Objectives

13. Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman The American People The Graying of America Aging population – Implications for Social Security. Social Security is a pay as-you-go system, which means that today’s workers pay the benefits for today’s retirees. By 2040, there will be only about two workers per retiree. LO 6.1 To Learning Objectives

14. How Americans Learn About Politics: Political Socialization LO 6.2: Outline how various forms of socialization shape political opinions. The Process of Political Socialization Political Learning over a Lifetime To Learning Objectives Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman

15. How Americans Learn About Politics: Political Socialization The Process of Political Socialization The Family – Parents give their children political attitudes. The Mass Media – TV gives people information about politics. School – Schools socialize the youth into political culture. LO 6.2 To Learning Objectives

16. Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman How Americans Learn About Politics: Political Socialization Political Learning over a Lifetime Aging increases political participation and strength of party attachment. LO 6.2 To Learning Objectives

17. LO 6.2 To Learning Objectives Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman

18. Measuring Public Opinion and Political Information LO 6.3: Explain how polls are conducted and what can be learned from them about American public opinion. How Polls Are Conducted The Role of Polls in American Democracy What Polls Reveal About Americans’ Political Information The Decline of Trust in Government To Learning Objectives Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman

19. Measuring Public Opinion and Political Information How Polls Are Conducted Sample – People in survey to be representative of the whole. Random Sampling – People should get equal probability of being selected for the sample. Sampling Error – Confidence in public opinion poll findings. LO 6.3 To Learning Objectives

20. LO 6.3 To Learning Objectives Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman

21. Measuring Public Opinion and Political Information The Role of Polls in American Democracy Polls help politicians detect public preferences. Critics – Politicians think more about following than leading public; bandwagon effect distort elections; exit-day polls discourage voting; and wording of questions manipulate answers. LO 6.3 To Learning Objectives

22. Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman Measuring Public Opinion and Political Information What Polls Reveal About Americans’ Political Information Americans don’t know much about politics. Americans may know their basic beliefs but not how that affects policies of the government. LO 6.3 To Learning Objectives

23. Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman Measuring Public Opinion and Political Information The Decline of Trust in Government Since 1964, trust in government has declined. Trust in government has gone up somewhat since 9/11/2001. LO 6.3 To Learning Objectives

24. LO 6.3 To Learning Objectives Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman

25. What Americans Value: Political Ideologies LO 6.4: Assess the influence of political ideology on Americans’ political thinking and behavior. Who Are the Liberals and Conservatives? Do People Think in Ideological Terms? To Learning Objectives Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman

26. LO 6.4 To Learning Objectives Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman

27. What Americans Value: Political Ideologies Who Are the Liberals and Conservatives? Americans pick ideological label of conservative over liberal. In 2008, 36% were conservatives, 38% were moderates, and just 26% were liberals. Gender gap – Women more likely support Democratic candidates. LO 6.4 To Learning Objectives

28. Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman What Americans Value: Political Ideologies Do People Think in Ideological Terms? Ideologues (12%) – Yes they do. Group Benefits (42%) – Think of groups they like or dislike. Nature of the Times (24%) – If times are good or bad for them. No issue content (22%) – Vote for party or personality. LO 6.4 To Learning Objectives

29. How Americans Participate in Politics LO 6.5: Classify forms of political participation into two broad types. Conventional Participation Protest as Participation Class, Inequality, and Participation To Learning Objectives Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman

30. How Americans Participate in Politics Conventional Participation Voting in elections. Working in campaigns or running for office. Contacting elected officials. Ringing doorbells for a petition. Running for office. LO 6.5 To Learning Objectives

31. Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman How Americans Participate in Politics Protest as Participation Protest – Designed to achieve policy changes through dramatic and unconventional tactics. Civil disobedience – Reflects a conscious decision to break a law believed to be immoral and to suffer the consequences. Violence – Riots and fighting. LO 6.5 To Learning Objectives

32. LO 6.5 To Learning Objectives Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman

33. LO 6.5 To Learning Objectives Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman

34. How Americans Participate in Politics Class, Inequality, and Participation Class-biased activity – Citizens of higher socioeconomic status participating more than others. Minorities are below average in terms of participation. Who gets what in politics depends on who participates. LO 6.5 To Learning Objectives

35. LO 6.5 To Learning Objectives Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman

36. Understanding Public Opinion and Political Action LO 6.6: Analyze how public opinion about the scope of government guides political behavior. Public Attitudes Toward the Scope of Government Democracy, Public Opinion, and Political Action To Learning Objectives Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman

37. Understanding Public Opinion and Political Action Public Attitudes Toward the Scope of Government Many people have no opinion about scope of government. Public opinion is inconsistent, which may lead to policy gridlock. LO 6.6 To Learning Objectives

38. Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman Understanding Public Opinion and Political Action Democracy, Public Opinion, and Political Action Americans select leaders in democratic elections. Polls reveal that Americans know little about candidates’ issues. People vote more for performance than policy. LO 6.6 To Learning Objectives

39. Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman LO 6.1 Summary The American People Immigration has accelerated in America in recent decades. The size of the minority population has increased greatly. By 2050, whites will represent less than 50% of the population. The population has also been aging and moving to Sunbelt states such as California, Texas, and Florida. To Learning Objectives

40. Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman Which of the following is the fastest- growing group in the United States? A.African Americans B.Asian Americans C.Hispanics D.Native Americans LO 6.1 To Learning Objectives

41. Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman Which of the following is the fastest- growing group in the United States? A.African Americans B.Asian Americans C.Hispanics D.Native Americans LO 6.1 To Learning Objectives

42. Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman LO 6.2 Summary How Americans Learn About Politics: Political Socialization The principal actors in the socialization process are the family, the media, and schools. As people age, the firmness with which they hold political attitudes, such as party identification, tends to increase. To Learning Objectives

43. Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman The main source of political socialization WITHIN the context is government and civics classes. A.school B.family C.mass media D.all of the above LO 6.2 To Learning Objectives

44. Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman The main source of political socialization WITHIN the context is government and civics classes. A.school B.family C.mass media D.all of the above LO 6.2 To Learning Objectives

45. Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman LO 6.3 Summary Measuring Public Opinion and Political Information Polls are conducted through the technique of random sampling. A random sample of 1,000 will yield results within plus or minus three percentage points of what would be found if everyone were interviewed. Polls detect public preferences and how informed we are about issues. To Learning Objectives

46. Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman Which of the following ensures that the opinions of several hundred million Americans can be inferred through polling? A.Random sampling. B.Sampling error. C.Population sampling that ensures a sample size of at least 1,000 to 1,500 people. D.All of the above. LO 6.3 To Learning Objectives

47. Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman A.Random sampling. B.Sampling error. C.Population sampling that ensures a sample size of at least 1,000 to 1,500 people. D.All of the above. Which of the following ensures that the opinions of several hundred million Americans can be inferred through polling? LO 6.3 To Learning Objectives

48. Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman LO 6.4 Summary What Americans Value: Political Ideologies A political ideology is a coherent set of values and beliefs about public policy. The two most prominent ideologies in American politics are conservatism and liberalism. These ideologies guide people’s thinking on policy issues. To Learning Objectives

49. Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman LO 6.4 Summary What Americans Value: Political Ideologies (cont.) 62% of Americans call themselves either conservatives or liberals. Americans are conservative (36%) in principle but liberal (26%) in practice; that is, they are against big government but favor more spending on a wide variety of programs. To Learning Objectives

50. Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman Americans are more likely to be. A.conservative than liberal B.liberal than conservative C.moderate than conservative D.moderate than liberal LO 6.4 To Learning Objectives

51. Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman Americans are more likely to be. A.conservative than liberal B.liberal than conservative C.moderate than conservative D.moderate than liberal LO 6.4 To Learning Objectives

52. Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman LO 6.5 Summary How Americans Participate in Politics Conventional participation includes voting, writing letters or e-mails to public officials, attending political meetings, signing petitions, and giving money to campaigns and political groups. To Learning Objectives

53. Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman LO 6.5 Summary How Americans Participate in Politics (cont.) Unconventional participation includes attending protest demonstrations and acts of civil disobedience. Citizens of higher social economic status participate more in American politics. To Learning Objectives

54. Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman Which of the following type of political participation is most common in the United States? A.Protesting a governmental policy. B.Litigating through the court system. C.Writing to a member of Congress. D.Voting in elections. LO 6.5 To Learning Objectives

55. Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman Which of the following type of political participation is most common in the United States? A.Protesting a governmental policy. B.Litigating through the court system. C.Writing to a member of Congress. D.Voting in elections. LO 6.5 To Learning Objectives

56. Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman LO 6.6 Summary Understanding Public Opinion and Political Action Conservatives think the scope of government has become too wide in recent decades. Liberals believe the scope of government should be further increased and support the 2010 Health Insurance Reform Act. To Learning Objectives

57. Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman Public opinion polls reveal that Americans A.are ideological liberals but operational conservatives. B.oppose the idea of big government in principle but favor it in practice. C.favor the idea of big government in principle but oppose it in practice. D.are ideological moderates. LO 6.6 To Learning Objectives

58. Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman Public opinion polls reveal that Americans A.are ideological liberals but operational conservatives. B.oppose the idea of big government in principle but favor it in practice. C.favor the idea of big government in principle but oppose it in practice. D.are ideological moderates. LO 6.6 To Learning Objectives

59. Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman Text Credits Excerpt from “Most Don’t Know What ‘Public Option’ Is,” August 27, 2009, http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2009/08/poll-most-dont-know- what-public-option.html. Used with permission. US Census Bureau, http://www.census.gov/population/www/projections/files/nation/sum mary/np2008-t4.xls.

60. Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman Photo Credits 166: AP Photo 167TR: Bob Daemmrich/The Image Works 167TC: Sven Hagolan 167TB: Getty Images 167B: AP Photo 168: Jack Smith/Getty Images 170: Bob Daemmrich/the Image Works 172: Virginie Mortet/Getty Images 177: Sven Hagolan 180: www.cartoonstock.comwww.cartoonstock.com 188: Getty Images 189: AP Photo 189T: AP Photo 189B: John Filo/Getty Images