1. Chapter 5: Public Opinion
Reelected President Truman

2. Learning Objectives What is public opinion, & how do we measure it?
What role did the framers of the Constitution think public opinion should play in making public policy?
What is political socialization, & how does it work?
What is political ideology, & how does it shapes the beliefs of elites & the mass public?
How does US public opinion vary by age & other characteristics?
People self-label as liberal, moderate, or conservative, but are there more refined ways of describing & classifying citizens’ political views?

3. Political Ideology
Political ideology: a fairly consistent set of beliefs about what policies a government ought to pursue
Self identification
Typically a broad category – liberal, conservative, etc.
Based on prediction of views
Most Americans do not think about politics in an ideological manner

4. Ideology Typology: 9 Types

5. US Political Ideology Mainstream Liberal Populist Libertarian
Equality
Mainstream
Liberal
Populist
Libertarian
Conservative
Freedom
Order

6. Liberal Liberal on economic policy & social matters
Want the government to reduce economic inequality, regulate the economy, increase taxes (on the wealthy), & solve economic causes of crime
Average members: younger, college educated, Jewish or nonreligious

7. Conservative Conservative on economic policy & social matters
Want to reduce government involvement in welfare & the economy (laissez faire), decrease taxes, & tighten criminal punishments
Average members: older, higher income, white, Southern & Midwestern

8. Libertarian
Conservative on economic policy & liberal on social matters
Want a small, weak government with little control over economic policy & social matters
Average members: younger, college educated, white, higher income, nonreligious, Western

9. Populist Liberal on economic policy & conservative on social matters
Want the government to reduce economic inequality, regulate the economy, regulate personal conduct, & tighten criminal punishments
Average members: older, lower education level, lower income, religious, Southern & Midwestern

10. Mainstream/Moderate Fall between conservative & liberal
Can be swing voters
Most Americans consider themselves “moderates”

11. Public Opinion & Democracy
The framers created a government to achieve specific goals:
“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
The framers did not try to create a government that would do from day to day “what the people want”

12. Public Opinion & Democracy
Constitutional goals achieved through:
Popular vote
Representative government
Federalism
Separation of powers
Bill of Rights
Independent judiciary
For the most part, the framers thought public opinion should play a limited & indirect role in policymaking
Checks on public opinion

13. What Is Public Opinion?
A collective evaluation of individual preferences on a given political issue, policy, institution, or individual
How people think or feel about a particular issue
Difficult to discern
“Agents” of a person’s political socialization
Family and demographics
Religion
Education
Media

14. Political Socialization: Agent #1
Family & demographics
Strong correlation between parents’ & child’s party affiliation
Less correlation between parents’ & child’s policy views
Gender gap
Since 1980, women voting at higher rates
Women more likely to vote Democratic – favor activist government, consider social welfare issues important
Men more likely to vote Republican – have always been more conservative than women on social issues

15. Young Adults on Politics & Politicians, 2010

16. Opinion Gaps Between Young Adults & Seniors, 2012

17. Gender Gaps in Presidential Voting, 1992-2012

18. Political Socialization: Agent #2
Religion
Typically:
Catholics: more liberal on economic issues than white Protestants
Evangelical Protestants: conservative on social issues
Jewish: liberal on economic & social issues
Religious tradition: those steeped in religious tradition tend to support conservative social & foreign policies
Social status: the economically disadvantaged within a religion tend to support liberal government economic policies

19. Opinions by 4 Christian Groups on 4 Issues, 2009–2010

20. Religious Affiliation & Younger Millennials (18–25) Registered to Vote, 2012

21. Political Socialization: Agents #3 & #4
Education
College students more liberal than the general population
College students at prestigious schools most liberal
Media

22. Cleavages in Public Opinion
Cleavage: a spilt in public opinion based on a demographic factor
Basic class differences in opinion often depend on the type of issue being discussed
The way political opinions are formed helps explain the complexity of cleavages
3 major sources
Social class – especially historically
Race & ethnicity – especially historically
Region
Other sources: education, income, occupation

23. Latino Opinion, 2012

24. How Opinions Differ Elite opinion vs. mass opinion
Elites do: raise & frame issues, state norms, define thinking on foreign affairs
Elites do not: define problems that are rooted in personal experience