Why Public Opinion Doesn’t
Equal Public Policy
• Public opinion—the distribution of individual
attitudes toward a particular issue, candidate, or
political institution.
• Framers did NOT create a government to do what
the people wanted on a day-to-day basis…look at
the Preamble
• It is not always easy to decipher what the public
thinks
• The more people are active people are, the more
weight their opinions carry—most people value
politics LOW
Origins of Political Attitudes:
“Agents of Socialization”
• Political socialization: the process through which an
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individual acquires his/her own political orientations
Family—majority of young people identify with their
parents’ political party, but this influence has declined with
rise of independents
Religion—Protestants conservative; Jews and Catholics
liberal on economic issues, Jews also liberal on social
issues—emphasize social justice
Jews/Catholics once poor immigrants, sided with
Democrats.
Christian Coalition—mobilizes grassroots Republicans,
place importance on personal responsibility
Gender—males more conservative, females will support
female candidates…party alliances have switched as party
stances switched
The Role of Schooling: Why
are More Educated People
Liberal??
• Individual traits may account for liberalism
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(family, intelligence, temperament)
Students more exposed to politics from more
sources (liberal cultural elite)
College teaches liberalism (professors
decidedly liberal…demand intellectual and
hence, civil liberties)
Effect extends long after college
But wealth sometimes tempers these effects
Public Opinion Differences
• The devil is in the demographics.
• U.S. has long been a melting pot
• Social Class: V.O. Key : professionals more
conservative on social policy, internationalist
views (50s), now less so
• Race: Seymour Lipset: Whites opposed to
affirmative action, blacks oppose death
penalty, races agree on banning abortion on
demand, ban on drugs. Asians (esp.
Japanese) vote like whites, Hispanics differ
• Region: South more accommodating to
business, less friendly to fiscal redistribution
New Phenomenons:
• “Gray Tigers”-senior citizens very
powerful
• Sunbelt increasing in power over
“Rustbelt”
• Reapportionment accelerates this
• Growing influence of Hispanic
population
Political Ideology
• Def’n: A coherent and consistent set of beliefs
about who ought to rule, what principles
rulers should obey, and what policies rulers
ought to pursue
• People regularly have “inconsistent” opinions
(ex: wanting to spend more on both national
defense and welfare)
• Elites have MASSIVE influence in framing the
debate—they may not tell you how to think,
but they make you think certain issues are
important
Changing Meaning of
Liberalism
• Old (Classical Liberalism or European
Liberalism): Favors personal and
economic liberty. Would have
supported free market and opposed
government regulation of trade
• New: Favors active national
government, social welfare, assisting
organized labor in bargaining, civil
rights, affirmative action
• Changed extensively by FDR: Activist
Changing Meaning of
Conservatism
• Old: Opposed excesses of French
Revolution and its emphasis on personal
freedom, wanted to restore power of
the State, the Church, and the
aristocracy
• Now: Favor foreign intervention, less
government, free market, states’ rights
Analyzing Consistency
• Pure Liberals (17%)—liberal economically and
socially, want to tax rich heavily, regulate business,
fiscally redistribute, cure economic causes of crime,
guarantee abortion rights, protect rights of the
accused and 1st amendment freedoms
• Pure Conservatives (28%)—conservative
economically and socially, want to cut back welfare
state, allow free market to operate, low taxes, lock
up criminals, curb deviant behavior
• Libertarians (21%)—conservative economically,
liberal socially
• Populists (24%)—liberal economically, conservative
on social issues
Is there a “New Class?”
• Def’n: Those who are advantaged by the
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power, resources, and growth of
GOVERNMENT (not business)
2 explanations of well-off liberals: 1) Directly
benefit from government 2) Liberal ideology
infusing postgraduate education
Traditional MC also split in 2:
Republican MC: 4 years college, suburban,
church-affiliated, probusiness, socially
conservative. “Silent majority”
Democrat MC: Postgraduate, urban, critical of
business, liberal socially
Party Membership
• Democrats: African-Americans, Jews,
union members, educated people, many
Catholics (changing)
• GOP: White males, Protestants,
business community, higher-income
groups, suburbanites, some Catholics
because of Republican view on abortion
(“Knights of Columbus” Catholics)
Public Opinion Polling
• Rarely a single public opinion; diversity produces
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many opinions
Polling developed during 1930s (Gallup)
Polls rely on a SAMPLE of the population or
UNIVERSE.
1500-2000 people can provide a very good overview
of what the universe thinks
Key to accuracy: random sampling
Sampling error will always exist; minimize in several
ways (larger sample)
Most polls use sophisticated computer software,
random digit dialing
Problems: Nonresponse rate increasing, bad
techniques (1936 poll predicts Landon victory)
The Role of Polls in
American Democracy
• Supporters: It’s a tool for democracy that
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keeps leaders responsive
Critics: Makes politicians too concerned with
following rather than leading
Benjamin Ginsberg: polls actually weaken
democracy because it takes into account
passive voices
Polls may create a bandwagon effect
Exit poll most criticized poll
Bias in questions, wording of questions can
skew results
Results of Polling
• Average American has low level of
knowledge. Name current leaders test
(VP, Cabinet, CJ SCOTUS)
Chapter 7 Learning Objectives
• After reading and reviewing the material in this chapter, the
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student should be able to do each of the following:
1. List the sources of our political attitudes and indicate which
are the most important.
2. Explain why there are crosscutting cleavages between
liberals and conservatives in this country. Assess the
significance of race, ethnicity, and gender in explaining political
attitudes.
3. Define political ideology and give reasons why most
Americans do not think ideologically. Summarize the liberal and
conservative positions on the economy, civil rights, and political
conduct.
4. Discuss the new class theory as an explanation for changes
in attitudes. Analyze why this change is causing strain in the
political party system.