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Backgrounder:Backgrounder:
An Intro to Public Opinion & PoliticalAn Intro to Public Opinion & Political
Socialization in the USSocialization in the US
MU MVZ 449
Spring 2010
Dave McCuan
Masaryk University
IntroductionIntroduction
l Public Opinion
­ The distribution of the population's beliefs about
politics and policy issues.
l Demography
­ The science of population changes.
l Census
­ A valuable tool for understanding population
changes - required every 10 years.
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The American PeopleThe American People
l The Immigrant Society
­ African Americans face a legacy of racism.
Hispanics are the largest minority group,
faced with the problem of illegal
immigration (Simpson-Mazzoli Act).
­ Asian immigration has been driven by a
new class of professional workers.
­ Political culture is an overall set of values
widely shared within a society.
The American PeopleThe American People
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The American PeopleThe American People
l The Regional Shift
­ Reapportionment:
The process of
reallocating seats in
the House of
Representatives
every 10 years on
the basis of the
results of the census.
The American PeopleThe American People
l The Graying of America
­ Fastest growing age group is over 65
­ Potential drain on Social Security
­ "Gray Power"
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How Americans Learn AboutHow Americans Learn About
Politics: Political SocializationPolitics: Political Socialization
l Political Socialization:
­ "...the process through which and
individual acquires [their] particular political
orientation"
l The Process of Political Socialization
­ The Family
l Time & emotional commitment
l Political leanings of children often mirror their
parent's leanings
How Americans Learn AboutHow Americans Learn About
Politics: Political SocializationPolitics: Political Socialization
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How Americans Learn AboutHow Americans Learn About
Politics: Political SocializationPolitics: Political Socialization
l The Process of Political Socialization
­ The Mass Media
l Generation gap in TV news viewing
­ School / Education
l Used by government to socialize the young into
the political culture
l Education produces better jobs and a more
positive view of government
l Political Learning Over a Lifetime
How American Learn AboutHow American Learn About
Politics: Political SocializationPolitics: Political Socialization
l Turnout by Age, 2000
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Measuring Public Opinion andMeasuring Public Opinion and
Political InformationPolitical Information
l How Polls Are Conducted
­ Random Sampling: The key technique
employed by sophisticated survey
researchers, which operates on the
principle that everyone should have an
equal probability of being selected for the
sample.
­ Sampling Error: The level of confidence in
the findings of a public opinion poll.
Measuring Public Opinion andMeasuring Public Opinion and
Political InformationPolitical Information
l The Role of Polls in American Democracy
­ Polls help politicians figure out public preferences.
­ Does it make politicians think more about following
the polls?
­ Exit Polls - used by the media to predict election
day winners.
­ The wording of questions makes a difference.
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Measuring Public Opinion andMeasuring Public Opinion and
Political InformationPolitical Information
l What Polls Reveal About Americans' Political
Information
­ Americans don't know much about politics.
­ Americans may know their basic beliefs, but not
how that affects policies of the government.
l The Decline of Trust in Government
­ Since 1964, trust in government has declined.
­ Trust in government has gone up somewhat since
September 11.
Measuring Public Opinion andMeasuring Public Opinion and
Political InformationPolitical Information
l Citizens Show Little Knowledge of Geography
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Measuring Public Opinion andMeasuring Public Opinion and
Political InformationPolitical Information
l The Decline of Trust in Government, 1958-2004 (Figure 6.4)
What Americans Value:What Americans Value:
Political IdeologiesPolitical Ideologies
l Political Ideology:
­ A coherent set of beliefs about politics,
public policy, and public purpose.
l Who Are the Liberals and
Conservatives?
­ Views change over time
­ Currently about 37% conservative, 23%
liberal, 40% moderate
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What Americans Value: PoliticalWhat Americans Value: Political
IdeologiesIdeologies
What Americans Value:What Americans Value:
Political IdeologiesPolitical Ideologies
l Do People Think in Ideological Terms?
­ Ideologues: think in ideological terms -
12% of the population
­ Group Benefits: rely on party labels - 42%
of the population
­ Nature of the Times: current times are
good or bad - 24% of the population
­ No issue content: based on personalities -
22% of the population
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How Americans Participate inHow Americans Participate in
PoliticsPolitics
l Political Participation:
­ All the activities used by citizens to
influence the selection of political leaders
or the policies they pursue.
l Conventional Participation
­ Voting in elections
­ Working in campaigns / running for office
­ Contacting elected officials
How Americans Participate inHow Americans Participate in
PoliticsPolitics
l Protest as Participation
­ Protest: A form of political participation
designed to achieve policy changes
through dramatic and unconventional
tactics.
­ Civil disobedience: A form of political
participation that reflects a conscious
decision to break a law believed to be
immoral and to suffer the consequences.
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How Americans Participate inHow Americans Participate in
PoliticsPolitics
l Class, Inequality, and Participation
Understanding Public OpinionUnderstanding Public Opinion
and Political Actionand Political Action
l Public Attitudes Toward the Scope of
Government
­ Many people have no opinion.
l Democracy, Public Opinion, and
Political Action
­ We select our leaders, not policies.
­ We protest for specific policies, not against
the government.