CHAPTER 5 OUTLINE—FILLED IN
Public Opinion and Political Socialization
5.1
I. In a democracy, government policy is supposed to follow public opinion.
A. Not always true--- for example: capital punishment
B. Democratic Theory suggests/implies governmental leaders are able to
know what the majority is thinking about an issue.
1. Majoritarian Model---- follow majority opinion
2. Pluralist Model--- follow minority opinions
C. Statistical sampling theory and computer technology have made it possible
to be better informed about the distribution of the population’s beliefs
and attitudes about politics and government.
1. Polling started in the ___1930’s____
2. 3 Main Factors influence Sample Accuracy
Randomly Chosen—every person has the same chance
of being chosen
SIZE-- you only need 1,500 participants to be
within +3 or -3 pts.
Greater Variation in population can make one sample
different than another.
D. Knowing how often Government policy runs against majority opinion, it
becomes harder to defend the U.S. government as democratic under the
majoritarian view of democracy. Examples
1. Prayer in Schools
2. Death Penalty
2. Burning the American Flag
II. Public Opinion can be analyzed according to the shape and stability of the
distribution of opinions among citizens.
A. SHAPE__: refers to the pattern or physical form of responses
plotted in a graph
1.In a skewed distribution, most of the opinions cluster around a point on
one side of the issue.
a. Minority opinions risk social ostracism
b. Example: gay marriage supporters in Ohio 2004-Issue I
2.In a bimodal distribution, opinions are divided sharply between two
opposing points on the issue.
a. Great potential for political conflict
b. Example---presidential election race 2000, 2004
3.A normal distribution is symmetrically shaped (like a bell) around the most
frequent response, called the mode.
a. This pattern supports _MODERATE______ government policies
b.Example---attitudes on a __LIBREAL-CONSERVATIVE____
Continuum.
B. The stability of the distribution refers to the amount of change in the model
category or in the shape of the distribution over time.
1. Some political attitudes change little over time
a. Example--- capital punishment
b. Americans are only slightly more conservative than they were when
LBJ launched the Great Society.
2. Segregation has __changed drastically over time_________
III. Political Socialization refers to the complex process by which people acquire their
political values.
A. Early Learning
1. Primacy Principle—What is learned first is learned best
2. Structuring Principle- what is learned 1st structures later learning
B. MOST IMPORTANT agents of early socialization
1. FAMILY
2. SCHOOLS
a. Teaches the Importance of national Pride & democratic decision
making
b. Civic Responsibility
3. COMMUNITY
4. Youthful PEERS
C. The socialization process continues in later life through other agents, most
notably through
1. College
6. Political Leaders
2. Co-workers
7. Voting Experience
3. Friends
8. Mass Media—Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck
4. Neighbors
9. Maturation process
5. Spouses
IV. Political values can be usefully analyzed according to social groups.
A. Commonalities among people with similar backgrounds
B. Commonalities can be seen in the following two questions about trading freedom
for order or equality
1. What conditions should abortion be permitted?
2. Should the Government guarantee a job to everyone willing to work
C. Responses to these questions were analyzed according to education, income,
Region, “old” ethnicity, “new” ethnicity, race, religion and gender.
1. Highly educated people— pick FREEDOM over order and equality
2. Wealthy—oppose to gov’t policy of income redistribution
3. Race-- has emerged as a more critical variable especially in the area of
redistribution of wealth
4. Religiosity has increased (How you interpret the bible)
5. Gender factor—women support social programs more
6. Old ethnicity
----Have declined
7. Regional Differences
----Have declined
D. The concept of ideology-defined in Chapter 1 as a consistent set of values and
beliefs about the proper purpose and scope of government-can be used to
interpret public opinion.
A. 20% of the electorate are IDEALOGUES--extremists
1. Most Americans are MODERATE
2. Some select moderate because they have characteristics of both parties
B. Ideological thinkers are classified more accurately on a 2 dimension typology
rather than a single continuum.
1. 1 dimension—original Dilemma—Freedom v. Order
2. 2 dimension—Modern Dilemma –Freedom v. Equality
C. Surveys from ch. 1 conclude
1. Liberals
22%
3. Conservatives 32%
2. Libertarians 22%
4. Communitarians 24%
D. People do not decide about government according to a one dimensional
ideological stand
E. For the many people who lack a strong ideological orientation,(Independents)-the proccess of opinion formation involves a number of factors.
A. SELF INTEREST—particularly in the economic arena
B. Political information: We voice our opinions even when we have
no valid information
C. Opinion Schemas
1. Many different factors can change an individual’s attitudes
2. Strong correlations between social background and political values
D. Policy leaders structure opinions in the absence of information
Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Al Sharpton, Ed Schultz, Chris Matthews