1 Reference: All photos are copied from Google Images

Do Now-Copy Question and justify answer Which of the following give(s) a reason why the power of the federal government has grown relative to state governments? I. the devolution of power II. the conditional funding the federal government can provide to state governments III. the growth of interstate commerce IV. the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution A. statement I only B. statements II and IV only C. statements III and IV only D. statements II, III, and IV only E. statements I, II, III, and IV 2

Quiz 1. Which of the following goals is not listed in the Preamble to the Constitution? a. Justice. b. Domestic tranquility. c. The common defense. d. Equality. e. The general welfare. 3

Quiz 2. Which of the following was intended to serve as a check on public opinion? a. Representative government. b. Federalism. c. Separation of powers. d. An independent judiciary. e. All of the above. 4

Quiz 3. The Framers of the Constitution understood that ________ would be the chief source of opinion on most matters. a. the general public b. elected representatives c. factions and interest groups d. political theorists and educators e. intellectuals 5

Quiz 4. A properly conducted poll of 250 million people can capture “public opinion” with as few as _________ of them. a. 1,500 b. 2,000 c. 3,000 d. 4,500 e. 5,000 6

Quiz 5. Younger Americans are more likely than older Americans to support a. gay marriage. b. vouchers for private or religious schools. c. women’s rights. d. letting citizens invest some of their Social Security contributions in the stock market. e. all of the above. 7

Quiz 6. The “gender gap” refers to the tendency of female voters to ______________ in recent elections. a. support Democratic candidates b. vote Republican c. support Independent candidates d. refrain from voting e. contribute more money 8

Quiz 7. Which group displays the most consistency in political attitudes? a. Average citizens. b. Political activists. c. Females. d. Blacks. e. Manual workers. 9

Quiz 8. Which of the following is an incorrect assessment of elite opinion? a. Elites influence which issues will capture the public’s attention. b. Elites are unified in their interests and opinions. c. Elites state the norms by which issues should be settled. d. Elites raise and frame political issues. e. Elites influence how issues are debated and decided. 10

Quiz 9. Compared with people in other democracies, Americans are particularly preoccupied with a. elections. b. the assertion of rights. c. social harmony. d. institutions. e. equality. 11

Quiz 10. Which of the following is not among the important elements in the American view of the political system? a. Civic duty. b. Individualism. c. Equality of opportunity. d. Democracy. e. Equality of condition. 12

Do Now-Copy Question and justify answer Which one of the following groups is MOST likely to participate in an election? A. African Americans B. people with college degrees C. Hispanic voters D. people under age 35 E. people in households with below-average income 13

Focus Questions 14 Who Governs? 1. How does public opinion in America vary by race, gender, and other differences? 2.What is political Ideology, and how does it affect political behavior and public policy To What Ends? 1.What role did the Framers of the Constitution think public opinion should play in American democracy? 2.When, if ever, should public policies mirror majority opinion?

Learning Objectives 15 1.List the sources of our political attitudes and indicate which are the most important. 2.Explain why there are crosscutting cleavages between liberals and conservatives in this country. Assess the significance of race, ethnicity, and gender in explaining political attitudes. 3.Define political ideology and give reasons why most Americans do not think ideologically. Summarize the liberal and conservative positions on the economy, civil rights, and political conduct. 4.Discuss the new class theory as an explanation for changes in attitudes. Analyze why this change is causing strain in the political party system.

The Founding Fathers Thoughts on Public Opinion 16 “to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, ensure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessing of Liberty.” – Preamble to the Constitution 1. They did not try to create a government that would do from day to day what the people wanted. 2. The created a government for the purpose of achieving certain goals. 2.They included Federalism, Separation of Powers, and Checks and Balances to keep a check on public opinion. 2.They knew that a nation as large and diverse as the United States that the public would be in small factions holding a variety of opinions; that the struggle among these many opinions would protect liberty.

What is Public Opinion? 17 How people think and feel about particular things.

How Opinions Differ 18 Opinion saliency – care more about certain issues than other people Opinion stability – opinions on an issue is pretty steady, while others might be more volatile Opinion-policy congruence – some public opinions are in sync with the government, while others are not in sync

Political Socialization 19 The process by which background traits influence one’s political views. We become political socialized by : Family Religion The Gender Gap Schooling and Information

Cleavages in Public Opinion 20 Social Class Race & Ethnicity Region

21 Political Ideology Political ideology - A more or less consistent set of beliefs about what policies government ought to pursue. Political Scientists measure a person’s political ideology by: a. How frequently someone identifies themselves as a liberal or a conservative b. Whether their policy preferences are consistent over time, or are based on consistent principles

22 Liberalism and Conservatism IssueLiberalismConservatism Civil RightsFavors strong federal action to desegregate schools and increase hiring opportunities for minorities Does not favor strong federal action to desegregate schools and increase hiring opportunities for minorities EconomyFavors government efforts to ensure everyone has a job Does not favor government efforts to ensure everyone has a job Political ConductFavors tolerance toward protest demonstrations, legalizing marijuana, and protecting the rights of the accused Does not favor tolerance toward protest demonstrations, legalizing marijuana, or protecting the rights of the accused

Do Now- Which of the following statements is NOT true of the Supreme Court’s decision in McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)? A. It held that state governments could pass a law negating a federal law within their boundaries if they believed the federal law was unconstitutional. B. It confirmed the supremacy of the federal government over state governments. C. It determined that states could not levy taxes on federal government operations. D. It interpreted the “necessary and proper” powers clause of the Constitution to mean that the federal government has implied powers not specifically stated in the Constitution. E. It upheld the constitutionality of the national bank established by the federal government. 23

24 People Mix Liberal and Conservative Positions 1.Pure Liberals: Liberal on both economic and personal conduct issues 2.Pure Conservatives: Conservative on both economic and personal conduct issues 3.Libertarians: Conservative on economic issues and, liberal on personal conduct issues 4.Populists: Liberal on economic issues, conservative on personal conduct issues.

25 Political Elites Persons with a disproportionate share of political power. Elites raise and frame political issues. Elites state the norms by which issues should be settled.

Reading Questions for Chapter Seven 1. What was the Founders’ attitude towards public opinion? Give examples of how we see that attitude reflected in how they wrote the Constitution. 2. What is political socialization? The book gives four factors that affect political socialization, what are they? 3. Briefly summarize what the book says about the role of the family, religion, and gender on the development of political beliefs. 4. The book discusses cleavages which may divide various demographic groups ideologically. The authors give three factors that divide people’s political beliefs. Identify those three factors and summarize the conclusions about the correlation between these factors and people’s political opinions. 5. What is political ideology? What are the problems with surveys asking people to identify their own ideology? 6. Make sure you have the definitions of political elites and activists. We will be using these terms often this year 7. What are the two reasons the book gives why activists or the political elite tend to have more ideological consistency than those who aren’t active? What effect does this ideological consistency have on the difference ideologically between politicians and voters? 8. How do elites influence public opinion? What are the limits to their ability to shape public opinion? 26