public opinion and political behaviors
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Public Opinion and Political Behaviors. Unit IIA American Political Culture. Political Culture. A set of basic values and beliefs How political and economic life ought to be carried out Shared by most citizens Subcultures - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Public Opinion and Political Behaviors
Unit IIA
American Political Culture
Political Culture
A set of basic values and beliefs How political and economic life ought to
be carried out Shared by most citizens Subcultures– Distinctions and patterns based on region,
religion, ethnicity, culture
Basic American Values
Liberty - individual freedoms guaranteed Equality - each citizen treated equally Majority Rule - democracy, but minority rights assured Limited Government - prohibitions on government to
ensure will of the people Civic Duty - a citizen’s responsibility to the government
and community Private Property - capitalist system and guaranteed
ownership
Political Socialization
The process which a citizen acquires one’s sense of political identity
Learning and becoming aware of the values and beliefs the political system is based
Influences shape political identity from childhood to adulthood
Influences on Political Identity
Family and Home Education and Schools Group Affiliations Demographic Factors Mass Media Opinion Leaders Events
The Family and Home Arguably the strongest
and lasting influence on one’s political identity
Strongest when both parents identify with same political party
60% of adults still had party affiliation of parents
Education and Schools
Schools and colleges tend to make citizens more liberal
More access to information
Atmosphere conducive for exploration of new ideas
Religion
Social Status– Catholics and Jews
suffered discrimination– Democrats appealed to
them and gained their support
Religious Tradition– Evangelical protestants
emphasize personal salvation therefore more conservative in social policies
Gender
Gender Gap - difference in political views between men and women
Women tend to vote Democrat; pro-choice issues
Men more conservative; voting more Republican
2000 Election– 55% women voted Gore (D)– 54% men voted Bush (R)
Social Class
Lower-class– Limited education– Tend to vote Democrat, but low
voter turnout
Working-class (blue-collar)– Tend to vote Democrat, but
subject to other influences
Middle-class (white-collar)– Tend to be split and dependent
on other influences
Upper-class– Tend to vote Republican with
pro-business policies
Race and Ethnicity
Whites vote more Republican– Pro-business
Blacks vote more Democrat– Affirmative action
Hispanics vote more Democrat– immigration
Asians vote more Republican– Conservative culture
Region New England - more liberal Southeast/Bible Belt - more
conservative Midwest - more
conservative Pacific - more liberal Urban - more
liberal/Democratic Rural - more
conservative/Republican
Media
Opinion Leaders
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on civil rights
The Dalai Lama on human rights
Norman Braman launched largest municipal recall election
Barack Obama became first black president
Events
President Lyndon Johnson signs Civil Rights Act of 1964– Prompts Southern
Democrats to shift Republican
9/11 – Americans become
more patriotic and more willing to limit freedoms for sake of security
Cleavages in Public Opinion
Public opinions are never absolute and always overlap
Examples:– Blacks vote Democrat due to support on
affirmative action and equality policies, but most blacks are against gay marriage
– Cubans vote Republican despite majority of Hispanics voting Democrat for immigration policies
– A blue-collar worker would vote Democrat for pro-union policies, but votes Republican due to conservative religious traditions