Exam Notes

Core American Beliefs and Political Ideology

Shared American Beliefs:

  • Nearly every American shares core beliefs that influence their perception of the government's role.
  • Five key beliefs:
    • Individualism
    • Equality of opportunity
    • Free enterprise
    • Rule of law
    • Limited governance

Political Ideology:

  • Citizens apply these beliefs differently based on their political ideology (liberal to conservative).

Individualism Example:

  • Conservatives: Self-centered individualism (emphasizing individual interests over society).
  • Liberals: Enlightened individualism (emphasizing group interests over individual).

Cultural Factors and Political Attitudes

Political Socialization:

  • Various factors influence political attitudes.
  • Most important factors:
    • Family (typically the top influence)
    • School
    • Peers
    • Media
    • Social environments (e.g., religious institutions)

Other Influences:

  • Globalization: Increasing global interconnectedness influences political thinking.
  • Generational and life cycle effects: Shared experiences within generations shape political views.
    • Silent Generation: Grew up during the Great Depression and World War II, value religious beliefs and are generally conservative.
    • Millennials: Born 1981-1996, more liberal, favor diplomacy over force in foreign policy.

Public Opinion and Polling

Public Opinion Measurement:

  • Measured through scientific polling; results influence public policies and institutions.

Types of Polls:

  • Opinion polls: Gauge public sentiment on candidates or policies.
  • Benchmark polls: Initial polls at the start of a campaign to set a reference point.
  • Tracking polls: Conducted over time with the same group to track changing opinions.
  • Entrance polls: Conducted before voters enter polling locations to ask how they will vote.
  • Exit polls: Conducted after voters exit polling locations to ask how they voted.

Ensuring Legitimacy:

  • Sampling techniques:
    • Representative sample: Small portion mirroring the larger population's characteristics.
    • Random sample: Every member of the population has an equal chance of being selected.
  • Sampling error: Potential for error even in rigorous polls, often acknowledged with a margin of error (e.g., plus or minus four).

Polling, Elections, and Policy Debates

Relationship with Government:

  • Polls play a significant role in government participation.
  • Candidates and representatives use polls to guide campaigns and legislation.
  • Voters use polls to inform their voting decisions.

Factors Affecting the Relationship:

  • Reliability of public opinion data: Major polling failures can undermine trust in polls.
    • Example: 2016 presidential election polls predicted a Hillary Clinton victory by a large margin, but she didn't win.
  • Nonscientific polls: Polls funded by partisan sources can be unreliable and damage trust.

Political Ideology

Ideology Definition:

  • Political ideology: An interlocking set of ideas that form the basis for political decision-making.

Liberal vs. Conservative:

  • Spectrum: Ideologies range from conservative to liberal.
  • Moderates: Many Americans consider themselves moderates.
  • Polarization: Conservatives have become more conservative, and liberals have become more liberal over time.
  • Liberal Ideology: Favors government expansion and services to address societal problems.
  • Conservative Ideology: Emphasizes tradition and resists government intervention.

Political Parties:

  • Democratic Party: Aligns with liberal ideology, advocating for women's rights, LGBTQ rights, healthcare for the poor, etc.
  • Republican Party: Aligns with conservative ideology, supporting low taxes, "America First" trade policies, deregulation, and pro-business initiatives.

Public Policy and Political Participation

Policy Reflection:

  • Public policy reflects the attitudes and beliefs of those participating in the political process.

Economic Involvement:

  • Liberals: Favor more government involvement in the economy to protect the public good, based on Keynesian economics (government taxation and spending).
  • Conservatives: Favor less government involvement in the economy to uphold free market principles, based on supply-side economics (emphasizing supply and demand).
  • Libertarians: Favor minimal government involvement beyond protecting property rights and voluntary trade.

Voting Rights and Voter Behavior

Expansion of Voting Rights:

  • Franchise (right to vote) has expanded over time.
  • Initially limited to landed white males.
  • 1830s: Expanded to universal white male suffrage (removing property requirements).
  • Constitutional Amendments:
    • 15th Amendment: Expanded voting rights to black men.
    • 17th Amendment: Opened voting for senators to the people.
    • 19th Amendment: Recognized the franchise for women.
    • 23rd Amendment: Opened voting to the District of Columbia.
    • 24th Amendment: Abolished poll taxes.
    • 26th Amendment: Lowered the voting age to 18.

Models of Voting Behavior:

  • Rational choice voting: Voting based on self-interest and careful study of issues/platforms.
  • Retrospective voting: Voting based on the past performance/track record of the politician.
  • Prospective voting: Voting based on the potential future the candidate can bring.
  • Straight ticket voting: Voting for all candidates of the voter's party.