1. Longman PoliticalScienceInteractive
Magleby & Light
Government by the People
Chapter 4
Political Culture and Ideology
Copyright 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Publishing as Longman

2. Controversy Over the Creation of Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Introduced in Congress just days after King’s assassination in 1968, but not passed until 1983
Support was strong among groups such as labor unions and the National Football league
Yet states such as AZ, VA, and SC were opposed to the idea
In 2008, though racial tensions were never far from the headlines, candidates from both parties celebrated King’s accomplishments
These changing attitudes toward King exemplify a shift in political culture in the U.S.
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3. Defining the U.S. Political Culture
Widely shared beliefs, values, and norms about how citizens relate to government and to one another
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4. Respect for the Common Person Justice and the Rule of Law
Shared Values
Equality
Liberty
Individualism
Respect for the Common Person
Democratic Consensus
Justice and the Rule of Law
Patriotism
Optimism and Idealism
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5. How Do We Get Our Political Opinions and Values?
Political Socialization
The process, most notably in families and schools, by which we develop our political attitudes, values, and beliefs
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6. Where We Learn the American Political Culture
Family
Schools
Number of times a week American families say that they eat together
Schools teach an idealized view of the nation’s slogans and symbols
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7. Where We Learn the American Political Culture
Peers and Community
Research shows that in heterogeneous communities, political participation tends to be higher, with more contested and competitive elections, and with more political debate than in homogeneous communities
Religion
Those raised in religious households tend to be socialized to contribute to society and to get involved in their communities
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8. Where We Learn the American Political Culture
Media
More than two-thirds of Americans report that they receive “all or most” of their news from television
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9. The American Dream
Coming from humble beginnings, Oprah Winfrey—television host, movie actress, and one of the highest-paid people in the country—epitomizes the American Dream
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10. What is Public Opinion? Public Opinion
The distribution of individual preferences for or evaluations of a given issue, candidate, or institution within a specific population
The proper wording and phrasing of the questions are vitally important to producing reliable, objective data
Appropriate language and vocabulary
Neutral wording
Open-ended versus closed-ended
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11. What is Public Opinion? Intensity Latency Salience
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12. The Way You Ask the Question Matters
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13. Differing Opinions on Gay Marriage
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14. Stability and Change in Public Opinion
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15. Awareness and Interest
Knowledge Levels
Politics is not the major interest of most Americans, and as a result, knowledge about the political system is limited
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16. Participation: Translating Opinions into Action
Only a small percentage of the American people are actively engaged in the political process, yet they receive most of the media attention
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17. Liberalism and Conservatism
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18. Liberalism Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-California)
Political Ideology: A Consistent Pattern of Beliefs About Political Values and the Role of Government
A belief that government can and should achieve justice and equality of opportunity
Liberalism
Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-California)
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19. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas)
Political Ideology: A Consistent Pattern of Beliefs About Political Values and the Role of Government
A belief that limited government ensures order, competitive markets, and personal opportunity
Conservatism
Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas)
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20. Socialism
An economic and governmental system based on public ownership of the means of production and exchange
Retired Rep. Bernard Sanders (D-Vermont) was a self-described Socialist
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21. Rand Paul, Libertarian Senator of Kentucky
Libertarianism
An ideology that cherishes individual liberty and insists on a minimal government, promoting a free-market economy, a noninterventionist foreign policy, and an absence of regulation in moral, economic, and social life
m, m
Rand Paul, Libertarian Senator of Kentucky
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22. Political Ideology and the American People
Figure 4-1
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23. Political Ideology and the American People
Figure 4-2
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24. I Am Very Patriotic
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25. World Values Survey Chart
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26. Differences in Political Ideology
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