2026 Ideology, Parties, Participation and Public Opinion Polls

Political Ideology

the coherent set of values and beliefs about the purpose and scope of government held by groups and individuals

Political Socialization

The process by which we develop our political attitudes, values, and beliefs.

Agents of socialization

Family, social media, religion, race, gender, education (biggest influence is family)

Conservatives

people who generally favor limited government, low taxes, pro life, pro business (less regulations), 2nd Amendment supporters, strong military, love the 10th Amendment (states powers)

Liberals

people who generally favor big government, higher taxes, federal health care, pro choice, more social services, against school prayer, against death penalty, love the 14th Amendment

Moderates

persons who do not hold extreme political views, stuck in the middle of conservatives and liberals, more than half of the people fall here

Lifecycle effects

changes over the course of an individual's lifetime, which affect their political attitudes and participation; as individuals develop from young people to adults to senior citizens, their concerns and values change

Generalization Effect

The impact of historical events experienced by a generation upon their political views. Examples: 9/11, Great Depression, wars, COVID.

Libertarians

Those who prefer very limited government and therefore tend to be conservative on issues such as smaller government, pro business, but liberal on issues such as the legalization of drugs. Wants government to be a small as possible. Believes America should stop being the police of the world.

Socialists

Group that believed nation's resources and industries should be owned and operated by the government on behalf of the people.

Republicans and Democrats

the two main political parties in US since the 19th Century

Republicans

Pro-business, far-right, religious conservatives, & libertarians

Republican Beliefs

Support smaller govt, low taxes, pro-life, pro 2nd Amendment, reduce govt spending, free market, reduce govt regulations, very supportive of a strong military, ensuring integrity of our elections, law and order, American values and traditions

Democrats

divided between their more traditional, moderate wing & now more progressive wing

Democrat Beliefs

Big govt., regulations on businesses, social and welfare programs, anti 2nd amendment, pro choice, federal health care system, higher taxes, climate crisis, less strict immigration laws

laissez-faire economics

Theory that opposes governmental interference in economic affairs beyond what is necessary to protect life and property. (Libertarians)

Progressivism goals

Progressivism focuses on using government policies and reforms to address social, economic, and political inequalities. This includes promoting civil rights, labor protections, environmental sustainability, and other measures to ensure fairness and justice in society.

Gender gap

Difference in political views between men and women. More women are liberal democrats than men.

Religion

Protestants are more likely to identify as Republican, Jewish people and those unaffiliated with a religion are more likely to identify as Democrats. Catholics are more of a coin toss. Traditionally, they would lean towards the Democratic Party but social issues (ex. Abortion & school prayer) can pull them to the Republican Party. Muslims and Hindus favor the Democrats. Mormans favor Republicans.

Region

Democrats tend to be clustered on the coasts, in the upper Midwest, and in cities nationwide. Republicans tend to be concentrated in the Mountain West, the Great Plains, and the South, and in suburban and rural areas.

Age

Young=Democrats Older=Republicans

Strongest factor for party affiliation

What your family is

party polarization

When political parties move farther away from each other ideologically and also move away from the center

3rd Party Positives

Voice for the discontent, Bring light to new issues and concerns, Increases participation

Electoral College

the body of electors who formally elect the United States president and vice-president

Electors

When Americans vote for a President and Vice President, they are actually voting for presidential electors, known collectively as the electoral college. It is these electors, chosen by the people, who elect the chief executive.

Formula for how many electors each state gets

Number of Senators plus number of Representatives

Number of electors in the Electoral College

538

Number of electors needed to win presidency

270

winner-take-all

a system in which the candidate with the most votes in a state gets all of the votes from that state

How are the electors chosen?

Each state determines the selection process. A group of candidates for elector is nominated by political parties and other groupings in each state, usually at a state party convention, or by the party state committee.

What happens if no candidate wins the needed amount of electoral votes?

If no candidate receives a majority, then the President is elected by the House of Representatives, and the Vice President is elected by the Senate, a process known as contingent election.

During the Constitutional Convention, what were five other methods discussed regarding how to elect the president?

Methods discussed were selection by Congress, by the governors of the states, by the state legislatures, by a special group of Members of Congress chosen by lot, and by direct popular election.

What was the original method for electing the President and Vice President and what amendment changed this original method?

Under the original system, each elector cast two votes for President (for different candidates), and no vote for Vice President. The votes were counted; the candidate receiving the most, provided it was a majority of the number of electors, was elected President, and the runner-up became Vice President. The 12th amendment changed this.

23rd Amendment

DC gets 3 electoral votes

What is the least amount of electors a state can have and what state has the most electors?

The least amount is 3. California has the most at 54.

How are the number of electors that each state gets adjusted if needed?

Every 10 years after the census during reapportionment

Why would a state get more electors during this adjustment? Why would a state get less electors during this adjustment?

A state would get more if the population rises and would get less if the population decreases.

What are the electors expected to do (even though the founding fathers may not have intended this)?

They are expected to vote for the presidential and vice presidential candidates of the party that nominated them.

Faithless elector

An elector who votes for someone other than the candidate who won the most votes in the state.

Swing States

States that are not clearly pro-Republican or pro-Democrat and therefore are of vital interest to presidential candidates, as they can determine election outcomes

joint ticket

It means that a single vote is cast for both the President and Vice President at the same time

Election Day

the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November, by law. U.S. presidential elections are held every four years.

Why was November chosen as election month?

November was chosen because the harvest was in, and farmers were able to take the time needed to vote. Travel was also easier, as November was before the winter weather set in.

Political Participation

The many different ways that people take part in politics and government

What is the most important and most traditional way to participate?

Vote

Other ways to participate

Attend a campaign rally, contact elected officials, putting a campaign sign in your yard, sign a petition

protest

A form of political participation designed to achieve policy change through dramatic and unconventional tactics.

Digital participation

2nd to voting in terms of participation

Socioeconomic Status

A person's position in society as determined by income, wealth, occupation, education, place of residence, and other factors

#1 predictor if someone will vote

education level

Other predictors if someone will vote

High income, older person, race

African Americans

Powerful voting group

Sleeping Giant

The Hispanic vote is often referred to by analysts as the

Public Opinion

what the public thinks about a particular issue or set of issues at any point in time

random sample

method of selecting from a population in which each person has an equal probability of being selected (key to accuracy)

Mass survey

a way to measure public opinion by interviewing a large sample of the population (1500 plus)

sampling error

The level of confidence in the findings of a public opinion poll. The more people interviewed, the more confident one can be of the results. + or - 3

Biased questions

Questions that are flawed in a way that leads to inaccurate results

Exit Poll

a poll of people leaving a polling place, asking how they voted. Controversial because of time zones can deter people from voting if they think someone has enough votes to win or lose already.

Benchmark Polling

initial poll on a candidate to gauge support

Push Poll

politically biased campaign information presented as a poll in order to change minds

social desirability effect

the effect that results when respondents in a survey report what they expect the interviewer wishes to hear rather than what they believe

bandwagon effect

When people join a cause because it seems popular or support a candidate who is leading in the polls because others are