dominant political beliefs

Public Opinion

The reflection of everyone's attitudes that politicians can lead or follow.

Scientific Polling

A reliable tool for investigating the opinions of regular people on various issues.

Public Relations

The marketing of ideas, policies, and politicians to influence public opinion.

Attitudes

Causes individuals to react in specific ways to political issues.

Ideologies

Structured sets of beliefs about government roles and policies, often linked by coalition politics.

Liberals

Individuals who favor government intervention to reduce economic inequalities and support disadvantaged groups.

Conservatives

Individuals who distrust government, favor private enterprise, and support traditional moral standards.

Partisanship

Party identification viewed as a psychological phenomenon, influencing individual political identity.

Confirmation Bias

The tendency to interpret information in a way that confirms existing beliefs.

Political Socialization

The lifelong process through which individuals acquire political attitudes and values.

Effects of Background

Factors like race, gender, income, and education shape public opinion and political ideologies.

Political Institutions

Leaders and institutions influence public opinion by providing information and framing issues.

Political Identities

Alignments with groups or ideologies based on shared experiences or characteristics.

Generational Divides

Differences in political identities and views across age groups, with younger voters leaning more liberal.

Regional Differences

Geographic factors that influence political views, with urban areas tending to be more progressive.

Measuring Public Opinion

The challenge of accurately gauging public sentiment, with larger samples increasing accuracy up to a point.

Stability of Public Opinion

Public opinion tends to be stable, reflecting deeper values and beliefs rather than transient views.

Opinion Leadership

The role of opinion leaders in providing coherence and rationality to public opinion.

Economic Ideologies

Support for government involvement in economic affairs, rooted in historical programs like the New Deal.

Social and Moral Issues

Conflicting considerations in social issues that complicate ideological reconciliation.

Foreign Policy

Public opinion on foreign policy is influenced by opinion leaders, particularly the president.

Race and Ethnicity

Shared experiences among racial and ethnic groups can lead to similar political ideologies.

Gender Gap

The increasing difference in party identification and political priorities between men and women.

Income and Education

Economic self-interest influences political views, with lower-income individuals favoring government services.

Religion

Religious beliefs shape political values and are often tied to party identification.

Public Opinion Aggregation

Individual opinions become public opinion when aggregated by organizations and leaders.