1. PUBLIC OPINION AND POLITICAL PARTICIPATION
How American democracy works depends largely on who participates and how.

2. Public Opinions & Ideologies
Things we agree on?
Children should go to school
Criminals should be punished
Things we don’t agree on?
What should be taught?
What are the appropriate punishments for criminals
Policymakers try to answer these questions in a socially diverse society where views often shift
What previsions does the Constitution provide to limit the policymakers ability to make rash, sudden changes, often based on those ever-shifting views?

3. Political Ideology
A consistent pattern of beliefs about political values and the role of government
Liberalism
The central government can and should achieve justice and equality of opportunity
Conservatism
A limited government insures order, competitive markets, and personal opportunity

4. Common U.S. Ideological Language
One-Dimensional Continuum Left ►►►►►►►►► Right ↕ ↕ Liberals ►►►►►►►►► Conservative

5. The One-Dimensional Problem?
The role of government in terms of policy becomes inconsistent as we move between issue areas.
For Example:
Economic Issues v.
Social Issues

6. Other Political Ideologies?
libertarian
populist
progressive
Where do Americans lie?
40-50% are moderate
30% consider themselves conservative
20% consider themselves liberal
Remember, ideologies ≠political parties

7. Political Socialization
The process in which individuals acquire the information, beliefs, attitudes and values that help them comprehend the workings of a political system and orient themselves within it.

8. Political Socialization and Other Factors That Influence Opinion Formation
Political attitudes are grounded in values. We learn our values by a process known as political socialization.
Many factors influence opinion formation. We will discuss the following in the next 10 or so slides
The Family
The Mass Media
School and Peers
The Impact of Events
Geographic region
Social/economic groups
Religion, Race/ethnicity, Income, Gender

9. The Role of Family Schooling
While most children tend to adopt the political beliefs of their parents, they may adjust those beliefs to adapt to a changing world as they get older.
Schooling
The most powerful institutional influence on children, outside of the family, is education.
Lower education levels- less political information
BERMAN&MURPHY APPROACHING DEMOCRACY

10. Peers
We all absorb the ideas, especially when we are young.
Peer groups affect political attitudes on those few issues of interest to young people.
Television
The values conveyed by television become a part of our culture.
BERMAN&MURPHY APPROACHING DEMOCRACY

11. Social Variables That Influence Opinion Formation
Race and Ethnicity
Race and ethnicity influence political attitudes and behaviors which are clearly evident.
African Americans, for example, are generally more alienated from politics than whites. WHY?
Hispanics tend to vote Democratic, with the exception of Cuban-Americans, who tend to be very conservative. WHY?
As a general rule, ethnic groups become conservative as they rise in social status. WHY?
BERMAN&MURPHY APPROACHING DEMOCRACY

12. Religion
Religious differences produce serious political conflict in the United States. -Ex: Catholics and Jews- associate with the Democratic party
Protestants are more conservative on economic matters than Catholics and Jews
Jews tend to be more liberal on both economic and social issues
Catholics tend to be more liberal on economic issues
Generally speaking, the more religious one is, the more conservative one is likely to be.
Location
Some areas of the United States, such as the South, are very conservative.

13. A New Political Typology
Gender
Gender shapes our political views as well, with men and women taking very different views on many of the issues of our day.
The gender gap reflects the difference in the political opinions of men and women. Women tend to be more Democratic; especially on social issues
Gun Control
Access to abortion
War
A New Political Typology
In addition to fighting each other, both Democrats and Republicans now find their parties internally divided over such issues as national security, religion, and moral values.
BERMAN&MURPHY APPROACHING DEMOCRACY

14. Political Topology Worksheet

15. American Political Culture
Core Values
There is broad support among Americans for such core values as:
Individualism
Equality of opportunity
Free enterprise
Rule of law
Limited government
Americans and Intolerance
Some claim that tolerance of diverse beliefs and practices is another core American value.
Public opinion data suggest that it may be intolerance that has become a core value.

16. Political Ideology Culture and Lifestyle
It provides an overarching frame around which to organize our political beliefs and attitudes.
The most common political ideologies among Americans are liberalism and conservativism.
Culture and Lifestyle
One’s culture and lifestyle will also influence one’s politics because such views emerge from specific life experiences.

17. Odds and Ends
Political Beliefs

18. Social Cleavages Definition: Examples:
Pre-defined groups, for or against a certain issue
Examples:
Socioeconomic status
Household income
Union Membership
Religion
Gender /Age

19. Linkage Institutions Linkage institutions:
the political channels through which people’s concerns become political issues on the policy agenda.
Political Parties
Elections
News & Entertainment Media
Interest Groups

20. Political Efficacy The belief that my political participation matter
You can make a difference

21. Mistrust of Government
Growing (when did it start?)
REMINDER:
Political Efficacy- citizens capacity to understand and influence political events

22. Globalization of Politics
U.S. trade deficits
Pros
Cons
A trade deficit is an indication that the currency is desired.
Every dollar that we send in exchange for goods will come back to us from foreigners in the form of investment
Trade deficits only become a problem when foreign investors want to stop investing in a country
Foreign inventors love to invest in U.S. real estate and our debt
If imports are more in demand, jobs may go abroad
When demands for a country’s exports falls, the value of our currency may fall*
Similarly, a persistent trade deficit can often have adverse effects on the interest rates in that country. (for smaller countries)
U.S. political culture influences and is influenced by other questions

23. Globalization of Politics
U.S. political culture influences and is influenced by other questions
Immigration laws