Unit 4

American Attitudes about Gov & Politics, Political Socialization, Ideologies of Political Parties Progress: ✅ 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 4.5, 4.6, 4.7, 4.8,

political culture

the set of attitudes that shape political behavior

death penalty

capital punishment

individualism

a belief in the fundamental worth and importance of an individual

equality of opportunity

equal rights of the people to pursue life, liberty, and happiness

laissez-faire

“let it be”

conservatives

usually want less regulations on businesses

liberals

think the government regulation of business is important for fairness and safety, gives the government flexibility

rule of law

the principle of a government that establishes laws that apply equally to all members of society and prevents the rule and whims of leaders who see themselves as above the law

systems that prevent disregard of public law

public records of government spending, regular auditing of the purse, independent law enforcements, a free press, whistleblower protections, and public opinion

limited government

government kept under control by law and by checks and balances and the separation of powers

political socialization

the process by which you develop political beliefs

family

the most significant influence on political socialization

influences on political socialization

family, school, peers, media, religious and civic institutions, and geography

globalization

the process of an ever expanding and increasingly interactive world economy

US influence on world

American film, media, television, and commercials reflect American values that are streamed in foreign countries, making the citizens of those countries want to be similar or different (spreading democracy or 9/11 attacks)

world influence on US

immigrants who go to the US bring their own political beliefs and increase the cultural diversity, aka “collectivistic” ideas (collaboration)

democrats

• liberal

• civil rights

• women’s rights

• rights of the accused

• greater regulations to protect environment

• more government services to solve public problems

republicans

• conservative

• only necessary spending

• limited business regulation

• maintain cultural traditions

ideology

a consistent set of ideas

valence issues

thought about similarly by people with different ideologies

wedge issues

used by political groups to gather support because these sharply divide the public

saliency

intense importance, usually of divisive issues

libertarian voters

• oppose government intervention or regulation

• have a high regard for civil liberties

• oppose censorship

• want lower taxes

• dislike government-imposed morality

populist voters

• protestant

• Christian

• strict moral code

• workplace safety precautions

• farm subsidies

• blue-collar workers

• factory workers

• men without college degrees

progressive voters

• aligned with labor unions

• challenge institutions with too much power in one place

• workers’ rights > corporates’ rights

• tax the rich

Impressionable age hypothesis

Most of political beliefs are developed between ages 14 and 24

Age

Voter turnout increases with ___

Great depression

Helped voters want more support for public works

ww2

Helped voters want more support for war efforts

Civil rights movement/Vietnam

Helped voters with protests/activism

9/11

Helped in the rise of patriotism and support for “War of Terror”

Public opinion

Distribution of a population’s beliefs about politics and policy issues measured with polls

Challenges of gathering accurate data

• Prevalence of cell phones supposed to landlines

• Wording can be misleading

  • Must no objective

  • Not emotionally charged

  • Question order can impact results

Gallup

Poll phrasing that asks the question: “Do you approve or disapprove?”

Rasmussen

Poll phrasing that asks you to rate a statement on a scale from “Strongly Approve” to “Strongly Disapprove”

Types of polls

1. Opinion

   a. a certain issue

2. Benchmark/Tracking

   a. over time

3. Entrance & Exit

   a. right before and after voting

Pros of polling

• Helps a candidate know what matters to people

• Tool for democracy

• Allows for immediate response of lawmakers

Cons of polling

• Politicians become followers instead of leaders

• Bandwagon effect

• Exit polls lower voter turnout

• Not always reliable or understood

Political efficacy

If you believe you change the outcome, you usually participate/vote (and vice versa)

bandwagon effect

a shift of support to a candidate or position that holds the leading public in the polls (the more support they have, the more people who join in supporting them) (a direct relationship between a candidate’s rank in polls and their ability to raise campaign funds)

social desirability bias

the tendency for respondents and declared voters to tell pollsters what they think the pollsters want to hear

Bradley effect

recent African American candidates have underperformed against their poll predictions because nobody wants to seem racist in the polls

cost-benefit analysis

a full look into the efforts and sacrifice that come with a new policy compared to the benefits the new policy would bring

economy

except for partisan identification, there are no greater determiners on election day than a voter’s view of the __________

fiscal policy

part of economic policy that is concerned with government spending and taxation

• Keynesian economics (liberal)

• Supply-side theory (conservative)

sin taxes

the nickname for taxes on things such as cigarettes or gambling

Keynesian economics

• if left to own devices, market won’t operate to its full potential

• gov should create the right level of demand

• when demand is low, gov should put money into economy

  • reducing taxes and spending more

• when demand is high, gov should take money out of economy

  • taxing wealthy and spending less

supply-side theory

• gov should leave as much of the money supply as possible with the people

• let the law of economics govern the market

  • supply and demand

• laissez-faire/free market theory

• less taxing

1. People will have more money and spend it

2. Spending increases jobs and manufacturing

3. Government receives sale taxes

progressive tax

one’s tax rate increases, or progresses, as one’s income increases (our national income tax)

flat tax

taxes citizens at the same rate (conservative belief)

monetary policy

how the government manages the supply and demand of its currency and thus the value of the dollar

discount rate

the interest rate at which the government loans actual dollars to commercial banks, set by the Federal Reserve Board

reserve requirement

how much cash commercial banks must keep in their vaults, set by the Federal Reserve Board

trade balance

a nation that exports more than it imports has a favorable _______ ___________

trade deficit

a nation that imports more than it exports has a ______ ______

NAFTA

lifted trade barriers among the three largest North American countries: United States, Canada, Mexico

social welfare

support for disadvantaged people to meet their basic needs (ex: New Deal programs)

medicare

health insurance programs for citizens over 65

medicaid

health care program for the impoverished who cannot afford necessary medical expenses

true

true/false: candidates don’t prefer to assure supporters of a likely victory prior to the election based on polls because doing so could lower turnout

push poll

a poll that tries to mislead or bias the listener against an opposing candidate or political party