1. Our Political Beliefs
Where do they come from?

3. Do we need political parties?
The founders opposed political party affiliation and warned against it as sectionalism
They emerged anyway
Was a two party system inevitable?

4. What are parties good for?
Select candidates
Mobilize voters
Organize the legislative process
Serve as watchdogs against one another
Get people more involved? (people need someone to blame/direct their anger)

5. The Party Symbols
Images have always been associated with political movements and policy
The “reds” and the “blues” varied based on news agency, up to the election (it has become stable that Red is Republican and Blue is Democrat)

6. Where do your political leanings fall?

7. Most people live in purple America
You may live in a “Republican” state, but we live amongst a mixed group of opinions

8. How close are democrats and republicans on the issues?
1994 the average Democrat wasn’t far from the opinion of the average Republican
Economy was doing well and international conflicts were minimal
By 2014 we can start to see a larger gap between the opinions of both parties
2011 starts the rift, 9/11 and the follow up “war of terrorism”, economic downturn in 2007

9. How close to the middle are we?
Look at 1994 compared to 2014
And how much have we moved left?
What can you attribute this too?
Republican mistakes (image)
Increase in education

10. Where do our political ideals come from?

11. What influences our beliefs?
Most Americans acquire their political values early in life
family, schools, churches and the media
The family generally exerts the most significant and long-lasting influence on political attitudes, beliefs and behavior.
there is a "high degree of correspondence" between the political party an individual prefers and the party that his or her parents preferred, especially if both parents preferred the same party.

12. Generalizations Gender (men = conservative / women = liberal)
Race (white = conservative / AA = liberal / Hispanic = split / Asian = liberal)
School influence = basic civil values
Religion = (protestant = conservative / catholic = split / Jews = liberal)
Income levels (higher = conservative / lower = liberal)
Media = constant barrage of information (mostly liberal / accurate?)
Family = still holds the greatest influence

13. What things did we acquire in childhood that shape our views?
Respect for authority
Sense of duty to obey the law
Participation in the political process
As children grow older though:
Their idealized views of government and politicians become more realistic and cynical
Largely due to the media (we will get in-depth later) and reality of the political system
EDUCATION
There is a tendency that more education lends itself to a more (liberal?/conservative?) society

14. Your values, answer the following questions for discussion
Are your parents politically involved?
Could you figure out if your parents were Dems or Repubs based on conversations you have had? How?
Do you think your political views have been influenced by your parents? How?
Where else do you get influence regarding political issue or personal beliefs?
Do you think education helps to shape any of these beliefs? Why/Why Not?
Do you forecast becoming more or less politically involved as you mature? Why?