Public Opinion and Democracy
• A key goal of the Framers was to give people an active voice in government.
• Another goal of the Framers was to protect government from whims of illinformed people.
• The present government is responsive to public opinion and to other input
as well.
Political Socialization
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Process by which individuals learn their political beliefs and attitudes
Political socialization begins within the family.
Schools and peer groups add to the political socialization process.
Each person’s personal experiences influence their political views.
The mass media plays an important role in political socialization.
• Persuasiveness of the media in modern American society
• Other influences include government leaders, interest groups, and religious
organizations.
Political Culture
• Political socialization includes absorbing the political culture of one’s nation.
• A shared belief in liberty and freedom are part of American political culture.
• Political culture sets the general boundaries within which citizens develop
and express opinions.
• The political culture a person comes from impacts how he or she sees the
world.
Political Efficacy
• Person’s belief that he or she can have an impact on government and policy
• A person’s level of political efficacy reflects their political socialization.
• Feelings of political efficacy are vital in a democracy.
• If citizens do not try to affect government policy, it weakens democracy
• People join interest groups because they believe being part of such a group
will improve their political efficacy.
Nature of Public Opinion
• The ideas and attitudes that a significant number of Americans hold about
government and political issues
• An individual’s opinions emerge as part of the process of political socialization.
• Public opinion significantly influences government.
• Public officials might use their own opinion or the opinions of their relatives or staffers to
make policy decisions
• In the United States, public opinion is extremely diverse.
• Interest groups communicate the opinions of many individuals.
• Public opinion is the aggregate of a significant number of people’s views
Nonscientific Methods
• Party organizations have traditionally provided reliable information on public
opinion.
• The mass media often reflect public attitudes fairly well.
• Letters, e-mails, phone calls, and faxes provide elected officials with public opinion.
• Straw polls provide a biased sample of public opinion.
• An unscientific way to measure public opinion
• Public opinion is also reflected on political websites, blogs, and social networking
sites.
• Twitter, Facebook, Instagram
Scientific Polling
• Scientific polling begins by determining a universe, or group, to be studied.
• Universe – group of people to be studied
• A representative sample of the group being studied is polled by random sampling.
• Representative sample – small group of people who are typical of the larger group being studied
• Random sample- technique in which everyone in the group has an equal chance of being selected
• Polling questions must be clearly worded, without confusing elements.
• Interpreting a poll requires knowing who paid for the poll, who responded, and the
sampling error.
• Writing questions which push a respondent to a particular answer is called “push polling.”
Uses of Polling Data
• Politicians may use polling data to introduce a bill or decide how to vote on a
related bill, decide where to campaign, advertise, shape their message to
voters.
• Politicians who are guided too much by public opinion may appear to lack
principles.
• Media use of polling data may shape public opinion.
• Exit polls, conducted by the media near polling places, can impact people’s
interest in voting.
Power of Interest Groups
• People who are in interest groups share common goals and organize to influence
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government and policy.
Interest groups are an important component of American civil society.
There are key differences between political parties and interest groups.
Interest groups help bridge the gap between people and the government.
A properly organized and equipped interest group has more influence than its
individual members.
• By combining with like-minded people, citizens can seek to change policy at different levels
of government (strength in numbers)
Leadership and Membership
• Interest group leaders strengthen the political power of the group by
unifying its members.
• People join interest groups out of economic self-interest.
• People join interest groups to see their beliefs translated into policy or direct
action.
• People join interest groups to help others
• People also join interest groups for social reasons.
Types of Interest Groups
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There are hundreds of interest groups in the United States today.
Many interest groups are concerned with economic issues.
Public interest groups work to influence policies they believe affect the general public.
Some interest groups work for civil rights, single issues, or ideological interests.
Some interest groups are faith or profession based, and others are government associations.
Protected by the First Amendment
• Assembly, speech, protest
Lobbying
• Interest groups try to influence public policy wherever it is made.
• Lobbying is the process of direct contact with elected officials to influence their vote.
• Grassroots lobbying – political advocacy efforts carried out my the general public and members of
interest groups, sometimes under the guidance of their professional lobbyists
• Lobbyists often provide government officials with information about their group’s policy
interests.
• Lobbyists and interest groups sometimes help write bills.
• Lobbyist may be professional lobbyists or grassroots lobbyists.
• All don’t believe in the cause that they represent because they are being paid.
Interest Groups Seek Support
• Interest groups use the mass media to inform the public and to create support for
their views.
• Many interest groups encourage members to communicate directly with
government officials.
• Interest groups compete for power and influence.
• Smaller interest groups or single-issue interest groups are most effective in shaping
policy.
• 527 Orgs – don’t particularly support a candidate but instead an issue
Rise of Political Action Committees
• PACs are designed to collect money and provide financial support for a political
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candidate.
PACs became popular after Congress passed laws limiting donations to federal
candidates.
Direct donations to candidates by PACs are limited, but indirect donations are
unlimited.
527 organizations focus on advocating an issue.
Super PACs can receive unlimited donations and spend unlimited sums if done
independently.
Strategies of PACs
• PACs use donations, or the threat of withholding donations, as leverage with
a candidate.
• Large campaign donations may increase a group’s access to an official when
elected.
• PACs spend money to influence election outcomes.
PAC Spending