Public Opinion Chapter 7

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Public OpinionChapter 7

• Public Opinion Political Socialization
• Theme A

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Why is public policy at odds with public opinion?

• Examples?
• Govt created to achieve goals, NOT do what
  people want.
• Checks balances put in place to guard against
  factions, so no one could dominate (Pluralist)
• Public opinion is hard to measure.
• Political elites carry more weight think
  differently than the average American.

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Public Opinion

• What is it?
• The ideas and attitudes shared by a portion of
  the population
• What does it take to measure public opinion?
• Reliability and validity (Ex. Cincinnati)
• Saliency (Ex.)
• Unbiased questions (Ex.)
• Significant numbers unbiased samples
• Informed public

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Qualities of Public Opinion

• Intensity- strength of position
• Fluidity- ability to interpret position
• Stability- extent to which public opinion stays
  constant
• Relevance- extent to which an issue is of concern
  at a particular time
• Political knowledge- the more active and
  knowledgeable someone is about politics
• Diversity-How do you get diverse sample?
• Direction-positive or negative
• Do Effects of Polling Sheet Discuss!

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Discuss Project Assignment

• Process
• Word non-biased, open-ended question
• Determine polling locations
• Take down as many demographics as possible
• Interpret results information
• Compile into a presentation
• E-mail product or link to me no later than 800
  p.m. on December 4th.
• Presentations are 12/05-12/06 (if needed).

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Political Socialization

• What is political socialization?
• The process by which children learn about values,
  beliefs and attitudes of political culture.
• What forces shape our political socialization?
• Do sheet

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Origins of Political Socialization

• Role of Family-
• First most important force.
• Links us to other socialization forces.
• Party identification absorbed, but child becomes
  more independent with age.
• The ability to pass on party ID declining
• More consider themselves independent
• Children less influenced in regard to policy
  Clear ideologies rarely passed on.
• http//www.youtube.com/watch?vOHSYSIX4s7I

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Origins of Political Socialization

• Religion-
• Political Socialization occurs through religious
  tradition
• Catholic? More liberal on economic issues,
  conservative on social issues
• Protestants? More conservative
• Jews? More liberal
• How does social status affect views? Ex.?
• How does religious tradition affect views? Ex?
• How was the Christian Coalition different from
  the Moral Majority? Explain 2 ways.

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Origins of Political Socialization

• The Gender Gap
• Differences in the political views of men women
• Men increasingly identify with Republican
• Women increasingly vote Democratic
• https//www.youtube.com/watch?v0evtKKQcaDA
• Demographics to illustrate!
• Reasons?
• Gun control, poverty spending, gay rights
• Gender gap not unique to the US

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Gender Gap in 2012 Vote Is Largest in Gallup's
HistoryObama wins women's vote Romney has
eight-point edge among menby Jeffrey M. Jones

• President Barack Obama won the two-party vote
  among female voters in the 2012 election by 12
  points, 56 to 44, over Republican challenger
  Mitt Romney. Meanwhile, Romney won among men by
  an eight-point margin, 54 to 46. That total
  20-point gender gap is the largest Gallup has
  measured in a presidential election since it
  began compiling the vote by major subgroups in
  1952.

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Origins of Political Socialization

• Schooling/Education-
• The more educated, the more politically involved
• College has a liberalizing effect for life
• Why? (Personal traits, Information, Profs.)
• Effect growing as numbers increase
• Are students more conservative today?

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Origins of Political Socialization

• Media-
• Bernard Cohen said that the media is stunningly
  successful in telling their audience what to
  think about.
• Do you agree? Or not?
• Recent Examples?
• http//www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id7387762n
• Do sheet to discuss which factors shape which
  issue.

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Cleavages in Socialization

• Social Class
• Less important in the US than Europe
• Class voting has sharply declined since 1940s in
  Western World
• Why?
• Liberalizing effect of higher education
• Non-economic issues define liberal conservative
• Moral, symbolic, foreign policy issues do not
  divide social classes the same way.

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Cleavages in Socialization

• Race Ethnicity
• Complex differences between white black
  Americans some narrowing, some widening
• Generational differences among African Americans
  surfacing. Ex?
• Disparity between black leaders and black
  citizens
• Asians and Latinos are diverse within their
  ethnic groups as well. Exs.?

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Cleavages in Socialization

• Region
• White southerners more conservative on social
  issues such as aid to minorities, legalizing
  marijuana, busing and rights of the accused.
• Similar to others on economic issues.
• Political views today are less regionally
  distinct.
• Southerners are less attached to the Democratic
  Party today.

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Using your Knowledge!

• How did these factors and cleavages play out in
  the recent Presidential elections?
• http//www.gallup.com/poll/154559/US-Presidential-
  Election-Center.aspx?refinteractive
• What did you learn about public opinion today?
  Yourself today?
• Complete chapter 7, pp. 167-174. Take notes.
  Bring idealog results to class. Answer questions
  and bring to class.