UNIT II- Political Beliefs
Political culture is an overall set of values
widely shared within a society.
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For example, there is agreement among
many ethnic groups about the value of
equality.
Public Opinion is the distribution of the
population’s beliefs about politics and
policy issues
Elements of the American view of
the Political System
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Liberty
Equality
Democracy
Civic duty
Individual responsibility

“American creed”- Belief in equality of opportunity
Political Socialization
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“the process through which and
individual acquires [their]
particular political orientation”
Orientation grows firmer with
age
The Process of Political
Socialization

The Family

The Mass Media
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Generation Gap

School

better-educated citizens
are more likely to vote
and are more
knowledgeable about
politics and policy.

Political Learning over a
Lifetime- Aging increases
political participation and
strength of party attachment.
(see figure 6.3)
Consequences of the Decline in
Support?
1.
2.
3.
4.
People are more likely to protest
government’s policies
There is a significant decline in voting
An increased dependence on third-party
identifiers who feel alienated from the two
major political parties.
More non-conventional participation
Political Efficacy in the United States
Definition: citizen’s capacity to understand and influence
political events
Political efficacy has two parts
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Internal efficacy- Confidence in one’s ability to understand and
influence events
External efficacy- Belief that system will respond to citizens
1.
2.
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Not shaped by particular events
Declined steadily since the 1960s
Americans seem to believe that government is becoming
too big to respond to individual preferences
Comparison: efficacy is still much higher among
Americans than among Europeans
The Role of Polls in American
Democracy
Polls help politicians detect public preferences.
But critics say polls make politicians think more
about following than leading public, even though
politicians do not track opinion to make policy
Polls may distort election process
Exit Polls

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May discourage people from voting
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2000 presidential election in Florida
Measuring Public Opinion and
Political Information

How Polls Are Conducted
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Sample: a small proportion of people who are chosen in
a survey to be representative of the whole
Random Sampling: the key technique employed by
sophisticated survey researchers which operates on the
principle that everyone should have an equal probability
of being selected for the sample
Sampling Error: the level of confidence in the findings of
a public opinion poll
Public Opinion Polling
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Case Study:1936 Literary Digest Poll
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Predicts Alf Landon will win in 1936, 57% to 43%.
Literary Digest had been right in every previous
election.
. . . but not this time!
Why did it go wrong?
What Polls Reveal About
Americans’ Political Information
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Americans don’t know much about
politics.
Americans may know their basic beliefs
but not how that affects policies of the
government.
Example: Citizenship Quiz
Political Ideologies

“a set of values a person holds that are
reflected in their political views.”
(economics, social and moral values)

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Most Americans identify themselves as liberal
or conservative.
Terms have changed over time.
Political Ideology Assignment
“In your team, create a debate presentation (using Google Slides)
between a liberal and a conservative about one of the following topics:
1. Health Care
2. Immigration
3. Abortion
4. Gun Control
5. Minimum Wage
6. National Security
7. Social Security
8. Student Choice (see me for approval first)
You must use news sources as part of your evidence. Ex- “In a August 1st
article published by MSNBC, Jeb Bush was quoted as saying
“Immigration is encouraged.” (GIVE CITATIONS/LINKS)
See rubric with more information!
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Possible FRQ for Political Beliefs
Trust and confidence in government have declined in recent
decades.
a) Explain how divided government has contributed to the
decline in trust and confidence in government. Be sure to
include a definition of divided government in your
response.
b) Explain how the increased cost of election campaigns has
contributed to the decline in trust and confidence in
government.
c) Explain two specific consequences of the decline in trust
and confidence in government for individual political
behavior.
Political Behaviors
Political Participation
“all the activities used by citizens to
influence the selection of political leaders
or the policies they pursue”
Linkage institutions are the political
channels through which people’s
concerns become political issues on the
policy agenda.
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Examples: media, interest groups, political
parties
Forms of Participation
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Conventional methods: voting, working on a campaign,
contacting elected officials
Protest
Grass roots campaigns encourage citizens to get out and
vote.
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.
Joining an interest group or political party
Donate money to a campaign
Community Service- young people’s participation in
civic activities has reached all-time highs for those 30 and
below.
How Citizens Participate
Electoral/Non-electoral Political
Participation Among Anglo Whites,
African Americans, and Latinos
Figure 8.3: Nonpolitical Voluntary
Activity Among Citizens
Sidney Verba et al., Voice and Equality: Civic Volunteerism in American
Politics (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1995), 77-79.
Table 8.6: Participation Beyond
Voting in Fourteen Democracies
Voter Turnout
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Key Questions: What is an average turnout in a
Presidential election? In a “mid term” election? Off year?
Primary? Closed primary? What types of voters vote in low
turnout elections?
Key Trend: Federal government taken more control of the
voter process since Constitution written through
registration requirements and suffrage laws.
GOOD RULE OF THUMB: “Voting is a matter of habit.
The more frequently a person has voted in the past, the
most likely they will in the current election.”
What are the implications of this statement?
Voter Participation in Presidential
Elections, 1860-2004
Obstacles to Voting: Why Don’t
People Vote?
Obstacles to Voting: Why Don’t
People Vote?
Voter Registration

Absentee Ballots2.
Single Day, Tuesday Voting
3.
Apathy
4.
Expansion of suffrage

Motor Voter Law (1993)
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Voter Rights Act of 1965
5.
Greater youthfulness of population and presence of growing number of minorities eligible to vote.
6.
Political parties are not as effective as once were in mobilizing voters to get to polls
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Why?
7.
Other issues:

Citizenship
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Disfranchisement of certain groups (felons, the mentally incompetent)
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Residency
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Need to show identification
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Generally have to vote in person
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Closed primaries
*Surprisingly, there is no correlation between distrust of political leaders and not voting.*
1.
What causes people to vote?
Party Identification (#1 factor in determining who votes)
1.

Provide a regular perspective through which voters can view the
political world.
Candidates
2.
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Integrity
Reliability
Competence
Policy
3.
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Easier to do today than 1960’s because media forces candidates to take a
stand.
High political efficacy
4.
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Those who see policy differences among voters are more likely to vote.
When major differences exist, the most likely voters will turn out
because they feel like they can steer policies by their choices.
Who is more likely to
vote?
1.
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Age- older voter, more likely to vote, but drops off after
getting too old.
Education: More education = more likely to vote. Most
important factor
Religious
High income
Race – African American, Hispanic, and Asian (most
unrepresented groups of American voters)
Gender: Female = more likely to vote
Marital Status: Married = more likely to vote
Union Membership: Union member = more likely to
vote
Traits are cumulative– possessing several adds up
Possible FRQ from this UNIT
In the United States political system, there are several linkage
institutions that can connect citizens to government.
Elections constitute one such institution. Because of lower
voter turnout, elections represent an imperfect method of
linking citizens to their government.
a) Describe how each of the following is related to the
likelihood of voting

Age

Education
b) Identify one current government electoral requirement that
decreased voter turnout. Explain how it decreases voter
turnout