Political Socialization and Political Trust Dr. Brian William Smith

Learning Objectives  Evaluate how people develop political opinions and how this impacts their political behavior.

Republican Graph

AGENTS OF SOCIALIZATION

The Role of Peers  Often Reinforce our Parents views  We do not tend to discuss politics  Our friends often share our SES and values

What about Primary and Secondary Schools  Teach the status quo  Correlate with our parents  Ritualizes Nationalism

Off To College  The Percentage of people going to college continues to rise  College often correlates with parents SES

The College Effect

Awareness

Indoctrination

Work Peers  We work with people like us  They share our SES  Our views are unlikely to change

The Mass Media and Political Socialization  We Receive a lot of information  Not all of it sticks  Those who could learn the most, watch the least

Why the media is not the great agent of socialization  Selective Exposure  Selective Perception

Life as an Agent of Socialization  Life Cycle events  Generational Effects  Period Effects

PARTICIPATING IN THE SYSTEM The Goal of Socialization

Teach The Political Culture  What are the Core Beliefs of America? Freedom Equality

Political Tolerance: Support for the Abstract

Pluralistic Intolerance

Figure 6.1 Question: “In order to curb terrorism in this country, do you think it will be necessary for the average person to give up some civil liberties, or not?”

Pluralistic Intolerance II

POLITICAL TRUST We Do not Like our Government

Trust the Federal Government?

Waste Taxes?

Crooked?

They Don’t Care

Pay Attention?

Why Does Government Keep Functioning?  We Support the basic Consensus of Government  We have not had the Big Problems