Public Opinion

The American People

• Public Opinion– “the expression of attitudes about government.”– The distribution of the population’s belief about

politics and policy.

• Effects of American Diversity– U.S. most diverse countries in world.

• Makes study of public opinion complex.

– Citizens not informed about issues.• Least likely to participate in political process.• Results in inequalities in who takes part in political

action.

The American People• Demographics:

– “science of population changes”– Census Bureau

• Constitutional requirement.• Once a group establishes it’s numbers, it

can then ask for federal aid in proportion to its size.

The American People• Immigration in the U.S.

– 630,000 annually– Waves of immigration:

• Pre-Civil War: NW Europeans• Post-Civil War: Southern/Eastern European• Post-World War II: Hispanics and Asians

– 1980’s largest number of immigrants in US History

• A Nation of Immigrants:– Multicultural and multilingual society– Assimilation of American values

The American People• Effects of Immigration:

– “Melting Pot”• Mixture of cultures,

ideas and peoples

– New minority-majority

• America will eventually cease to have a white, Anglo-Saxon majority.

• Estimated that middle of 21st century.

QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

The American People• African

Americans:– Economically poor

& disadvantaged• 33% live under

poverty line.

– Recently gaining political power and influence

• Hispanics:– Gaining political

power in Southwest– Issue of Illegal

Immigration– Simpson-Mazzoli Act

• Fear of hiring discrimination

• Granted amnesty to illegal aliens (1982)

The American People• Asians

– Most highly skilled immigrant group.

• Most wealthy

– Most educated group in country.

• 37% college degrees• Twice national

average

• Native Americans– Population decline– Worse off immigrant

group.• Least healthy• Least educated.

– Economically & politically disadvantaged.

• Majority live below poverty line.

Political Changes• Regional Shift:

– Population growth in West & South.

• To “sunbelt” from “rustbelt”

– Reapportionment:• Tied to census.• Gains/losses of

congressional seats– New York

• Graying of America:– Fastest growing age

group (<65 years old).– Decline in birth rate.

• 2020: two to one ratio.• Political and economic

consequences.– Social Security– Political implications.

Political Socialization• Political Socialization:

– “the process through which a person acquires knowledge, a set of political attitudes and orientations, and forms values and opinions about the political system and other social issues.”• Formal• Informal

Political Socialization• Family

– Learn basic attitude about authority, property, and rules of behavior.

– Prediction of youth’s ideology’s based upon parental ideology.• “Early years” syndrome.• Adult behavior is firmly based on

attitudes and values formed in the home during childhood.

Political Socialization• Mass Media

– “The new parent”• Major influence on people’s daily lives.• Chief source of information as children grow up.• Most common source of political information.

– Does not equate to influence.

• Lack of political knowledge linked to media-consumption habits.

– Young adults pay least attention to the news.– Over-stimulation of media.

Political Socialization• Education Systems

– Teach & instill basic values• Positive features about government system.• Ensures youth group up supportive citizens.

– Tremendous influence of development of ideas on political and social issues.

• Most obvious intrusion of government into political socialization.

• Educated people more likely to vote, show more knowledge about politics and public policy, and tolerant of diverse ideas.

• Can sometimes be dangerous (ex: “Nazi Youth”)

Political Socialization• Politics is a life long activity

– Aging increases political participation & party attachment.

– Political behavior is “learned behavior”.

– Governments aim socialization measures at the young.• One’s political orientation grow firmer as

one becomes more socialized with age.

Political Ideologies• Do people think in ideological

terms?– Political Ideology

• a coherent set of values and beliefs about public policy.

– Ideological thinking is not widespread in the American public.• People are not consistent in their beliefs!

Political Ideology• American Voter Study (1950’s)

– Looked at ideological sophistication of American electorate.

• Four groups of ideological sophistication:– Ideologues

• 12% could connect their opinions & beliefs with broad policy positions taken by parties or candidates.

– Group Benefits Voters• 42% thought of politics mainly by the groups they liked or disliked.

– Nature of the Times Voters• 24% was limited to whether times seemed good or bad to them.

– No Issue Content Voters• 22% were devoid of any ideological or issue content in their

political evaluations. They voted routinely for a party or judged candidates by their personalities.

Political Ideology• Analysis update through the 1980’s:

– Increase in proportion of ideologies, but overall, very similar.• Terms of liberal and conservative are not

as important as they are for political elite.• To speak of election results as indicating a

movement of the public as either “right” or “left” is a misnomer.

– Most voters DO NOT think in such terms.

Political Ideologies

• Predominant political ideologies in the United States:– Conservative– Liberal – Moderate

QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressorare needed to see this picture.QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressorare needed to see this picture.

Conservative Political Ideologies

FAVOR

Individual responsibilityFree market solutions

Lower taxesIncreased government

spendingPro-life (anti-abortion)Governemnt action on

social issues.

OPPOSE

Government assistanceRegulation of business

Government interference in private sector

Liberal Political Ideologies

FAVORFavor regulation of

economy

Affirmative Action

Enforcement of separation of church &

state

OPPOSESchool-sponsored prayer

Pro-posed bans on abortions

Religious influence in government or public

policy

Moderate Political Ideologies

• Larges portion of American public– Over half in 2004 poll

• Beliefs do not constitute a coherent ideology– Fall in between conservatives & liberals in

beliefs and ideals.

• Pragmatists– Apply common sense rather than political

principles to political problems.

Political Participation

• Voting in presidential elections most common form of political participation in U.S.– Only about 50% of citizenry votes in such

elections. – Even less for state & local elections

• Participatory political culture– Political activity is not an important part of

everyday life for most Americans.QuickTime™ and a

TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressorare needed to see this picture.

Political Participation• Types of participation

– Conventional (traditional)

• Voting, persuasion, petitions, running for office

– Unconventional (dramatic)

• Protesting, civil disobedience, violence.

QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

Conventional Participation

• Participation reflects specialization & division of labor.

• Voting is common denominator.• Most Americans will vote in an

election, but only a minority will do more than that politically.

Unconventional Political Participation

• Protest – form of political participation, designed to

achieved to policy change.

• Civil Disobedience:– consciously breaking a law one feels is

unjust. – Martin Luther King, Jr.

• Violence:– Vietnam War

Class, Inequality & Participation

• Participation is a class-based activity• Minority groups are below average in

terms of participation– Participation differences have been on

decline.– When blacks, Hispanics, and whites of

equal incomes & education are compared, it is the minorities who participate more.

– Minorities tend to have group consciousness that gives them extra incentive to vote.