Aim: How does Public Opinion influence American Government?

DEMOCRACY AND PUBLIC OPINION

Why is government policy often at odds with public opinion?

•Framer’s intent•Many “publics” •limit to polling•Government attends to elites

Aim: How does Public Opinion influence American Government?

• Is there really such a thing as “Public Opinion” if…the “public” suffers from ignorance, instability, and sensitivity to wording?

• Examples of problems?• “Monetary Control Bill”• Wording• stability

Aim: How does Public Opinion influence American Government?

DO NOW:• Why is governmental policy often at

odds with public opinion? (4 reasons)• Why might someone argue that there

is no such thing as “public opinion?• What is the single most important

factor in your political socialization? Why has it declined in importance in recent years?

ORIGINS OF POLITICAL ATTITUDES

Family• Party ID• Only 9% of high school seniors

identify with the party opposite of their parents

• Even as adults, 60% share party ID of parents

• Influence of family on party ID has been decreasing

ORIGINS OF POLITICAL ATTITUDES

RELIGION• Catholics more liberal on economic issues

than white protestants• Jews much more liberal on economic and

social issues• Why?• Social status• Religious tradition

ORIGINS OF POLITICAL ATTITUDES

GENDER GAP• Since 1960s women have tended to

ID more strongly than men with Democratic party

• Why?• “SHE” issues• See chart (text)

Gender Gap

ORIGINS OF POLITICAL ATTITUDES

SCHOOLING/INFORMATION• College students more liberal than general

population• Longer stay in college, more liberal you

become• Why?• Individual traits• Expose to more information about politics• Liberalism – professors• Does the liberalism last?

Changing College Student

ORIGINS OF POLITICAL ATTITUDES

DO NOW:• What is the single most important

factor in your political socialization?• How does religion influence your

political identification? (Protestant, Catholic, Jew)

• Does gender influence your views on the issues?(Is there a gender gap?)

• How does schooling influence one’s ideology?

Cleavages in Public Opinion

What are your CATS?• Race/ethnicity• Gender• Social Class• Religion• Region• Age• Education*In the U.S. there is no one cleavage that

makes somebody a liberal or conservative…NOT THAT SIMPLE!

Cleavages in Public Opinion

• No single cleavage between liberals and conservatives

• Social class less important in U.S.than Europe

• Race/ethnicity – becoming more important• Blacks most consistently liberal group – little

cleavage• See table – White v. Black opinions• See table – Party ID/Political attitude ethnic

groups (Ca.)• Southerners v. Northerners• Southerners and Democratic party

African American and White Opinion

Changes in Racial Opinion

White Southerners and the Democratic Party

Cleavages in Public Opinion

DO NOW:• Is there any single cleavage (category) that

makes somebody a liberal or a conservative?• How does socio-economic status affect one’s

political ideology?• Can the region that an individual is from

(within the U.S.) play a role in influencing party ID and ideology?

• Why have white southerners left the Democratic party? (no longer the solid south for Democrats)

• What other factors influence the political ideology that an individual is likely to possess?

IDEOLOGY• Pure Liberals (Economic,

Personal Conduct)• Libertarians (Economic,

Personal Conduct)• Populists (Economic, Personal

Conduct)• Pure Conservatives (Economic,

Personal Conduct)

Ideological Self-Identification

Political Ideology and Public Opinion

• Why do more Americans (Over 40%) view themselves as Moderate rather than Liberal or Conservative?

• What is the difference between the Traditional Middle Class and the New (Liberal) Middle Class?

Political Ideology and Public Opinion

POLITICAL ELITES• Who are the “elites”?• Why do elites display greater ideological

consistency?• What role do they play in American politics?-raise and frame the issues-establish the norms by which issues should

be settled• Are Democratic elites and Republican elites

more liberal/conservative than rank and file Democrats and Republicans?

Aim: How does one’s political ideology come

about?

• What is the single most influential factor in determining one’s political ideology?

• Identify 3 other factors that help to determine one’s political ideology.