Trust in Government Notes

Experiences That Affect Public Opinion

why might one’s opinion change?

  • if a voter’s ideology is only weakly supported by their beliefs, ideological shifts are more likely to happen

  • citizens may have opinions which are conflicting, especially if their knowledge on the topic is limited

    • limited info makes it easier to abandon an opinion

  • opinions change as citizens grow older

Methods to form an opinion about an issue or candidate

1. rely on heuristics (cues)

  • heuristics = shortcuts or generalizations (cues) for decision making

  • political party membership is one of the most common heuristics

    • many voters join a party which aligns most closely with their personal political beliefs and then vote for candidates from this party

  • a candidate’s background or job description

    • voters may have to rely on this in non-partisan and some local elections in which candidates are not permitted to list their party identifications

    • use these to form a quick opinion of a candidate’s suitability

  • gender, race, socio-economic status, and interest-group affiliation

  • demographic cues matter

    • age, gender, race, and socio-economic status will shape our opinions because they’re a part of our everyday reality and become part of deciding on whether a leader or gov is performing well

    • demographic effects on voting are likely strong due to shared experiences, concerns, and ideas.

2. research and learning background info to decide

  • candidates, parties, and campaigns put out a large array of info to convince potential voters and media provides wide coverage

    • all this is easily accessible online and elsewhere

  • many voters are unwilling to spend the necessary time to research and instead vote with incomplete info

  • opinions based on heuristics rather than research are more likely to change when the cue changes

    • if a voter begins listening to a new source of info or moves to a new town, the influences and cues they meet will change

Political culture of a state

  • in the 1960s, Daniel Elazar determined, through extensive research, that states had unique cultures and that different govs implemented different attitudes and beliefs in their citizens

    • creates political cultures

  • state political cultures can affect the ideology and opinions of its people

The workplace

  • workplace can directly or indirectly affect opinions about policies, social issues, and political leaders by socializing employees through shared experiences.

  • frequent association with colleagues can align a person’s thinking with theirs

  • workplace groups such as professional organizations or unions can also influence opinions

    • organizations provide members with specific info about issues which are important to them and campaign on their behalf in an effort for better work environments, increased pay, or enhanced shared governance.

      • may also pressure members to vote for particular candidates or initiatives that they believe will help promote their goals

      • pluralistic democracy - interest groups

Political elites (important political opinion leaders)

  • shape public opinion usually by serving as short-term cues that help voters pay closer attention to a political debate and make decisions about it

  • elite commentator tells people when and how to react to a current problem/issue, usually through a talk program or opinion column

  • can pick and choose the info and advice that they provide, so could covert influence if they’re not credible or honest

    • voters must be able to trust the quality of the info - when elites lose credibility, they lose their audience

Opinions About Politics and Policies

  • public opinion about political system, policies, and institutions fluctuates based on times and events and people in major office

  • the US is traditionally a two-party system - only democrats and republicans regularly win the presidency and seats in congress

    • majority of voters cast ballots only for republicans and democrats even when third parties are on the ballot

    • citizens say they are frustrated with the current party system - 33% identify as democrats and 29% as republicans while 34% identify as independent

      • democratic membership stays relatively the same but republican party has lost about 5% over last 10 years while independents has grown from 30% to 34% within 16 years

      • 58% of americans say we need a third party

  • Changes in party allegiance may be due to generational and cultural shifts

    • millennials and gen x more likely to support democratic than republican; baby boomers slightly less likely than other groups to support democratic; silent generation only group to support republican as a majority

  • Shift in politics may be coming from the increasing number of multiracial citizens with strong cultural roots

    • almost 7% of pop identifies as biracial or multiracial + this is likely to grow

    • Pew Study found only 37% of multiracial adults favor republican party while 57% favor democratic

  • politics is about dividing scarce resources fairly and balancing liberties and rights

    • public policy becomes messy as politicians struggle to fix problems with the limited budget while catering to numerous opinions on how best to do so

  • some policy decisions made without public input if they preserve the way money is distributed or defer to policies which are already in place

    • policies that directly affect personal economics may cause a public backlash

    • policies that affect civil liberties or closely held beliefs may cause even more public upheaval

    • policies that break new ground similarly stir public opinion and introduce change which some people find difficult