Connecting to the Political
Process: Socialization,
Parties, and Interest Groups
Unit 3
Public Opinion

Definition
– The distribution of the population’s beliefs
about politics and policy issues.

How do we measure public opinion?
The American People

What factors have shaped the
demographics of the U.S.?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32l
3sTFRFX8

Have our attitudes toward
immigration changed?
– Illegal immigration
– Minority Majority
http://www.washingtontimes.com/new
s/2011/nov/1/griswold-give-usyour-engineers-yearning-to-innova/
The American People


Figure 6.2
The Regional Shift
– Reapportionment: The
process of reallocating
House seats every 10
years.
What shift has changed
the apportionment of seats
in the last 30 years?
The American People

How has age distribution
in this country changed?
– Fastest growing group
is over 65
 What public policy
concerns does this raise?
Political Culture

Definition
– An overall set of values widely shared within a
society.
 What is the political culture of the U.S.?
 How does political socialization serve to maintain
political culture?
Measuring Public Opinion

How Polls Are Conducted
– Why is random sampling important?
– What is sampling error?
– How can question wording impact the outcome of
polls?

How important is polling to American politics?
 Is it too important?
Measuring Public Opinion

What Polls Reveal About Americans’
Political Information
– How much knowledge do Americans have
about politics?
– How do Americans feel about their
government?
Political Ideologies

Definition:
– A coherent set of beliefs about politics, public policy,
and public purpose.
How do we define “liberal” and “conservative”?
 Has there been a turn toward conservatism?

Political Ideologies


Liberals:
Conservatives:
– Less military spending
– More military spending
– Opposed to prayer in
– Support prayer in
schools
– Favor affirmative
action
– Tax the rich more
– Solve the problems that
cause crime
schools
– Oppose affirmative
action
– Keep taxes low
– Should stop “coddling
criminals”
From Table 6.3
Political Ideologies

Do People Think in Ideological Terms?
– Ideologues: think in ideological terms- 12% of
the population
– Group Benefits: rely on party labels- 42% of
the population
– Nature of the Times: current times are good or
bad- 24% of the population
– No issue content: based on personalities- 22%
of the population
Political Participation

Definition:
– All the activities used by citizens to influence
the selection of political leaders or the policies
they pursue.

Conventional Participation
– Voting in elections
– Working in campaigns / running for office
– Contacting elected officials
Political Participation

Is protest political participation?
 Civil disobedience: A form of political
participation that reflects a conscious
decision to break a law believed to be
immoral and to suffer the consequences.
How Americans Participate in
Politics

Class, Inequality, and Participation
Figure 6.5
The Meaning of Party

What is a political party?
 Parties can be thought of in three parts:
– Party in the electorate
– Party as an organization
– Party in government
The Meaning of Party

Tasks of the Parties
– Linkage Institution
– Pick Candidates
– Run Campaigns
– Give Cues to Voters
– Articulate Policies
– Coordinate Policymaking
The Meaning of Party

What is the rational-choice theory?
– Assumes that individuals act in their own best interest,
weighing the pros & cons.
Figure 8.1
The Party in the Electorate

What does this mean?
 How has this changed in recent years?
– Split ticket voting
Year
Dem
Ind
Rep
1964
52.2
23
24.8
1976
40.2
36.8
23.0
1988
35.7
36.3
28.0
2000
34.8
41.0
24.2
Types of Party Systems

States operate different systems:
– Closed: voters must be registered with their
party in advance and can only vote for that
party
– Open: voters decide on election day which
party to participate in, and then only that party
– Blanket: voters get a list of all candidates and
can vote for one name for each office,
regardless of party label
The Party Organizations - Local





What is meant by the term “grassroots”?
Party workers stuff envelopes, make calls and door-to-door
visits, and plan events
District and county committee – governing body for that
region
County chairperson leads the committee
Sheriffs carry out the objectives of the political party
The Party Organizations - State

State committee develops statewide party policy
 State chairperson heads the committee
 Governor serves is influential on party politics –
especially in appointments
The Party Organizations –
National

Senators propose laws often in line with party
platform
 National Committee coordinates state activities
 National chairperson leads the committee
The Party in Government

What does this mean?
 Coalition:
– A group of individuals with a common interest upon
which every political party depends.

How often do politicians do what they say they
will do during elections?
Party Eras in
American History

Party Eras
– Historical periods in which a majority of votes cling to
the party in power.

Critical Election
– An electoral “earthquake” where new issues and new
coalitions emerge.

Party Realignment
– The displacement of the majority party by the minority
party, usually during a critical election.
Third Parties

What is the impact of third parties on American
politics?
 How does the winner-take-all system prevent the
ascendance of third parties?
 What is the alternative to winner-take-all?
 Coalition Government:
– Two or more parties join to run government
Understanding Political
Parties

Responsible Party Government
– 1. Parties have distinct comprehensive
programs.
– 2. Candidates are committed to the program.
– 3. Majority party must carry out its program.
– 4. Majority party must accept responsibility.
Understanding Political
Parties

What are the issues with this model?
 How does the American political system
serve to keep government relatively small?
 Why are parties in decline? Will they fade
out completely?
The Role and Reputation of
Interest Groups

Definition
– An organization of people with shared policy
goal entering the policy process at several
points to try to achieve those goals.
 Interest Groups are policy specialists, Political
Parties are policy generalists.
The Role and Reputation of
Interest Groups

Why does “interest group” have a bad
connotation?
– The writers of the Constitution disliked
organized groups- parties and interest groups.
– Dishonest lobbyists get more press than the
honest ones- even though there are far more
honest lobbyists.
Interest Groups & Pluralism

How do interest groups fit into pluralist theory?
– Politics is mainly a competition among groups,
each one pressing for its own preferred policies.
– No group wins or loses all the time.
– Groups provide the key link between the people
and the government.
– Lobbying is open to all.
Interest Groups & Elitism

How do interest groups fit into elitist theory?
– Societies are divided along class lines and that
an upper-class elite will rule.
– Power is not equally divided among groups;
some have much more.
– Lobbying is a problem because it benefits the
few at the expense of the many.
Interest Groups &
Hyperpluralism

How do interest groups fit into hyperpluralist
theory?
– Groups are so strong that government is
weakened.
– Iron Triangles keep government from working
properly.
– Interest groups have become too powerful since
the government tries to serve every interest,
making policy confusing and contradictory.
What Makes an Interest
Group Successful?

The Surprising Ineffectiveness of Large Groups
– What is the Free-Rider problem?
– The bigger the group, the larger the free-rider
problem.
– Small groups are better organized and more
focused on the group’s goals.
– Groups that can provide selective benefits
overcome the free-rider problem.
What Makes an Interest
Group Successful?

Intensity
– Single-Issue groups: Groups that focus on a
narrow interest and dislike compromise.

Financial Resources
– Monetary donations usually translate into
access to the politicians.
How Groups Try to Shape
Policy

Lobbying
– “communication by someone other than a
citizen acting on his own behalf, directed to a
governmental decisionmaker with the hope of
influencing his decision.”
– Lobbyists are a source of information, can help
politicians plan political strategies, and inspire
legislation.
How Groups Try to Shape
Policy

Electioneering
– Political Action Committee (PAC): Used by
corporations, interest groups, and unions to
donate money to candidates and otherwise work
to influence elections.
How Groups Try to Shape
Policy

Litigation
– Amicus curiae briefs to support their position
– Class Action lawsuits

Going Public
– Groups use marketing strategies and advertising
to influence public opinion of the group and its
issues.
Types of Interest Groups

Economic Interests
– Labor
– Agriculture
– Business

Environmental Interests
 Equality Interests
 Consumer and Public Interest Lobbies
Understanding Interest
Groups

Do interest group activities promote
democracy?
 Do interest group activities enlarge the
scope of government?