US GOV CH. 6

Factors influencing political attitudes
  • Race/Ethnicity
  • Geographic regions
  • Social class
  • Family
  • Education
  • Media
  • Religion
  • Gender
  • Marital status
  • Socialization
  • Political environment
Political Ideologies
  • Liberal: Supports social/political reform, government intervention in the economy, economic equality, and federal/social services.
  • Conservative: Supports the social/economic status quo; views large government as a threat.
  • Socialist: Supports social ownership, strong government (often mixed with free markets), and reducing economic inequality.
  • Libertarian: Prioritizes individual liberty over government authority in all realms.
Political Socialization
  • The process by which political beliefs and values are formed.
  • 5 agents: Family, Social groups, Education, Religion, Political environment.
Agents of Socialization
  • Families: Primary source of initial political orientation.
  • Social Groups: Membership shapes experiences and views.
  • Education: Teaches civic values; college graduates are more politically active.
  • Religion: Leaders influence morality; denominations shape attitudes (e.g., abortion).
  • Political Environment: Views are shaped by the prevailing political climate (e.g., 1960s Vietnam, post-9/11).
Measuring Public Opinions
  • Polls are central to decision-making, though not always perfectly accurate.
  • Example: 2008 Obama polling closely predicted the actual margin.
Different Types of Polls
  • Straw Poll: Early, unscientific samples, often unrepresentative (e.g., 1936 Literary Digest).
  • Random Sampling: Each person has an equal chance of selection.
  • Stratified Sampling: Samples mirror population demographics (age/income/education).
  • Exit Polling: Surveys departing voters to predict winners.
  • Tracking Polls: Repeatedly sample the same voters to detect shifts.
Methods Used to Conduct Public Opinion Polls
  • Phone Surveys: Use random digits but face legal constraints for cell phones.
  • Online Surveys: Cheaper, faster, but often non-random due to self-selection.
  • Face-to-Face Surveys: Costly but highly reliable (e.g., ANES method, ~2,000+ respondents).
Polls: Question Framing and Reliability
  • Question wording significantly influences results (e.g., abortion phrasing).
  • More polls don't guarantee better accuracy, though recent elections have been fairly accurate.
What Can Cause Poll Results to be Inaccurate?
  • Selection Bias: Non-representative samples skew opinions (e.g., 1936 Literary Digest).
  • Bandwagon Effect: Voters support front-runners indicated by polls.
  • Push Polling: Questions designed to shape opinions, not measure them (e.g., 2000 SC Republican primary).