AP Gov Political Socialization and Public Opinion Test

political socialization

the process by which we develop our political values and opinions

family as an agent of political socialization

our families are the 1st major political impact on us and teach us that it is—or is not—valuable to be an informed citizen and coach us in the ways in which we should participate in the civic life of our communities

school as an agent of political socialization

schools influence our political socialization by teaching us shard cultural values (ex: mock elections, saying the pledge of allegiance)

family & school

agents of political socialization with the strongest impact

weekly reader’s student poll, 1956-2012

a first-through-twelfth grade student poll that correctly predicted the outcome of 90% of all presidential elections (students mimic parents’ behavior)

media as an agent of political socialization

the omnipresent role that the media plays in everyday life reinforces democratic values and warrants their inclusion as one of the prime agents of political socialization

preschool

a child’s first exposure to democracy and patriotism

religion as an agent of political socialization

the influence of religious institutions and religion in general varies from individual to individual, but christians tend to be more republican and those with secular values tend to be more democratic

gallup poll results on the issue of pro-choice vs. pro-life

abortion is one of the most divisive issues in the united states—public opinion has changed very little since roe v. wade (in the modern day, the public leans slightly pro-choice, but only barely)

peers as an agent of political socialization

friends, neighbors, coworkers, and other peers influence political socialization by reinforcing already-held beliefs

americans on the issue of wage equality

president obama’s focus on wage equality propelled it to become a higher priority for many average americans, and that issue became part of the national agenda during the 2016 elections (presidents shape american views)

race and ethnicity as an agent of political socialization

african american youth are more likely to be politically active, asian american youth are more likely to be active in their communities, latino youth are more likely to be involved in marches, and white youth are less likely to be politically active

gender as an agent of political socialization

the gender gap first became noticeable in the 1980 election when women were (and still are) much more likely to vote democratic, be anti-military involvement, and anti-capital punishment— men and women align most closely on the issue of abortion

generational differences as an agent of political socialization

people’s opinions are influenced by the events they have lived through—an epic event may lead to a widespread change in political views and younger people feel the effects most (ex: ww2, 9-11)

region as an agent of political socialization

differences in political beliefs based on geographic location stem in part from historical patterns of immigration and have existed since the nation’s founding (northeast & west coast: democratic, south, southwest, & midwest: republican)

activities that manifest popular opinion

demonstrators protesting on the steps of the state capitol, bloggers posting their opinions, citizens communicating directly with government officials

public opinion

the public’s expressed views about an issue at a specific point in time

straw poll

a poll conducted in an unscientific manner, used to predict election outcomes

literary digest

a magazine that correctly predicted the winner of every presidential election between 1920 & 1932 by relying on subscribers’ mail-in postcards disclosing their vote—the poll failed in 1932 because the sample excluded the middle & working class

george gallup/the gallup poll

a princeton-based public opinion researcher who founded the american institute of public opinion (later the gallup organization) and used scientific opinion pols to predict the outcome of the 1936 presidential election (he later failed in 1948 & 2016)

first consideration when conducting a poll

the population that is being targeted

random sample

a scientific method of selection in which each member of the population has an equal chance of being included in the sample

quota sampling

a method by which pollsters structure a sample so that it is representative of the characteristics of the target population

stratified sampling

a process of random sampling in which the national population is divided into fourths and certain areas within these regions are selected as representative of the national population

numbers polled by polling organizations (nationally and statewide)

national samples range from 1,000-1,500, state or congressional district samples range from 300-500

key to a successful polling sample

having a sample that accurately reflects the population

internet polls

market research firms, public opinion polling organizations, and even political candidates are increasingly relying on the internet as a survey research tool (internet polls are flawed because it is possible to respond multiple times)

tracking polls

polls that measure changes in public opinion over the course of days, weeks, or months by repeatedly asking respondents the same questions and measuring changes in their responses

2009

year of obama’s highest approval ratings

push polls

a special type of poll that both attempts to skew public opinion about a candidate and provides information to campaigns about candidate strengths and weaknesses

exit polls

polls conducted at polling places on election day to project the winner of an election before the polls close

issue identified by respondents as most important in 2016

economic issues (including the economy in general, unemployment, the gap between the rich and poor, etc.)

public trust in the institution of the presidency

declined steeply during the nixon presidency due to watergate, then declined gradually during bush and obama’s presidencies

public trust in the judicial branch

consistently high, but has declined since 2012