GoPo Chapter 6 - Public Opinion and Political Action

Public Opinion

The distribution of the population beliefs about politics and policy issues

Demography

The science of poulation changes

Cenus

The ‘actual enummeration’ of the population which the constitution requres that the government conduct every 10 years

• Tool to understand demographic changes

• Conducted every 10 years

• First done in 1970

US Immigration

• The US a nation of immigrants (a naiton of nations (JFK)

• 13% of US population born outside of the US

John-Reed Immigration Act (1924)

Established Official quotas for immigrants based on national origin

• abolished by the Hart-Cellar Immigration and Nationality ACt of 1965

Hart-Cellar Nationality Act of 1965

Retracted the John-Reed immigration act (lowered restrictions on immgiration)

• led to the emphasis on family immigration

Melting Pot

• A tern used to characterize the United states with it’s history of immgration, and the mixing of cultures, ideas and peoples

Miniority Majority

The situation (likley beginning in the mid-21st century) where the non-Hispanic Whites will represent a minority of the US population

• Minority groups the majority

• Due to increased immigration rates, and higher birthrates among minorities

• Hispanica that largest minority, > African Americans > Asian Americans > Native Americans

• Asian Americans the most highly skileld immigrant group

Simoson-Mazzoli

• Largest reform passed for illegal immgiration

• Requiers employers document the citizenship of their empyees

• hasn’t significantly slowed illegal immigration

Political Culture

• An overall set of values widley shared within a society

• Ex. treating everyone equally

Reapportionment

• The process of reallocating seats in the House of Represenatices wvery 10 years on the basis of the results of the US Census

• If the Census finds a 5% decrease in a state poulation, the state loses 5% of its seats in the hosue

The Graying of America

• Aging population has implications for Social security

• workers have to pay for more people’s benefits

• Lowering fertility rates

pay-as-you-go system

Means current workers pay for today’s retirees

Political Socialization

The process through which individuals in a society aquire political attidudes, views, and knowledge

• Based on input from the family, media, schools, etc.

How family fuels political Socialization

• They expose children to the world of politics

• Genetic factors

• Pick up political leaning from their parents

How the Mass Media fuels political Socialization

• The MAss media is the ‘new parent’

• Many children spend a lot of time watiching TV

• Older people more likley to watch TV News

How School fuels political Socialization

• Govermnets use school to promote national loyalty

  • ex. Pledge of Allegiance

• Textbooks chosen by local and state boards

• Better educated citizens more likley to vote, and participate in politics

(polling) Sample

A relativley small portion of people who are chose in a survey to represent the whole

Random Sampling

The key technique emploted by survery researchers which operates on the principle that everyone should have an equal probablity of being selected for the sample

Sample Error

The level of Confidence in the findings of a public opinion poll

• More people polled = more confidence in results

Literary Digest Poll (1936)

• Poorly conducted Poll

• Falsley Predicted FDR would lose against Alf Landon

• Had many participants, but from motor vehicle records and trelephones books

  • At the time, only middle class up had cars and phones/lower class unrepresented

Random-digit Calling

A technique used by pollsters to place telephone calls randomly to both listed and unlisted numbers when conducting a survey

• Cheaper than door-to-door harassing

• Less effective than door-to-door harassing

• Federal law prohibits calling cell phones

George Gallup

• Father of Opinion Polling

• Gallup = opinion poll

• Hoped that polling could contribute to the Democratic Process

  • Wanted public’s desires to be heard outside of voting times

  • remove power out of the hands of special interest groups

Exit Poll

Public Opinion surveys used by major media pollsters to predict electorial winners with speed and precision

• Voting Places randomly selected and workers sent to those places

• networks declare a winner before the votes are counted

Downside of Polling

• Makes the public focus more on who is ahead rather than policy questions

• Pollsters can manipulate Results with the wording of questions

What polls tell us

• Americans know little aobut politics

• The decline of trust from Americans to the government (Vietnam, Watergate)

Political Ideology

A coherent set of beliefs about politics, public policy, and public purpose, which helps give meaning to polical events

Liberals

• Liberals

  • 24% of US pop (2016)

  • Less military spending

  • Less use of force (esp. overseas)

  • Pro choice (abortion)

  • Oppsed to prayer in schools

  • Favor Affirmitive Action

  • Support gov. regulation in the market if it’s inpublic interest

  • Tax the rich

  • spend money to help the poor

  • Gov. shoudl adress issues that cause crome

  • Guard citizen rights

  • More young people (under 30)

    • young people less likley to vote

  • Women

  • Catholcis and Jewsih peoples

Conservatives

• 37% of US pop (2016)

• More military streignth

• support American military intervention worldwide

• Pro Life (also abortion)

• Support prayer in schools

• Oppose Affirmitive Action

• Favor the free market (unless regulation is in public interest)

• Cut taxes for all

• Limit spending on poor

• Government needs to punish criminals more

• Guarding right too much lets criminals free

• More people with political clout

Gender Gap

The regular pattern where women are more likley to support Democratic Candidates

• Women more likley to support social service spending

• women more likley tooppse high military empathy

Political Participation

All the activities used by citizens to influence the selction of political leaders or the policies they pursure

• Most common in a democracy is voting

Conventional Participation

widley accepted modes of influenceing government

• Voting

• Ringing doorbells

• running for office

Unconventional Participation

Dramatic actions as a mode of influencing government

• Protesting

• Civil disobedience

• Violence

Protesting

A form of political participation designed to acheive policy change

• More covered by the media

Civil Disobedience

conciously braking a law believed to unjust as a form of political participation

Who is the most likley to participate in pilitics

• those with a higher social status/education

• Not much coorelation between voting turnout and race