AP GOVERNMENT
Chapter 8: Public Opinion, Participation, and Voting
Political Socialization – the way in which we develop our political attitudes, values
and beliefs – generally coming from our parents and other “socializing factors”, but
family being the most powerful in teaching us our “attitudes” and shaping our
opinions. Other influences include:
- School
- Peers / Friends
- Mass Media
- Religion
- Ethnicity
- Racial background
Selective Exposure – (referring to media) making the conscious decision to choose
forms of media that one agrees with over media that one disagrees with.
Stability / Change of Attitudes – people typically maintain the beliefs they have,
even when growing older or moving to different parts of the country. Changes may
occur when a life-altering experience takes place – war, economic depression,
terrorist attack. etc.
Attentive Public – while statistically most of the public is not well informed about
politics due to its complicated nature, the “attentive public” understands the nuances,
stays on top of political events, and votes in most, if not all, elections.
Public Opinion – the dissemination of individual preferences for / evaluations of
issues, candidates, etc., most notably distributed in polls such as the “Gallup Poll.”
Random Sample – as a way of identifying public opinion, a random sample uses a
small % of people in a survey to make an educated guess. Everyone has the same
chance of being selected for the survey. (Predictions have not always been accurate,
however, noted by the Literary Digest’s poll on the outcome of the 1936 election,
which cited Landon would win, when FDR actually won reelection. Today computers
are used in making random phone calls with more accuracy, as well as exit polls –
asking people how they voted after voting.)
Margin of Error – surveys always have a “margin of error”, meaning they are never
100% accurate. MoE is typically 3% + or – per 1,000 individuals. How questions are
asked can influence the outcome, and open-ended questions make it harder to
record.
Latency – these are opinions people have, but are not expressed until it is brought to
their attention by someone or something taking place at a later time.
Manifest Opinion – is a widely shared and consciously held view (i.e. abortion rights,
gay marriage, gun control, etc.)
Salience – something that has value or relevance to someone (personal issues such
as jobs, wages, interventionism, etc.).
Voter Registration – system designed to reduce voter fraud by limiting it to those
who can prove eligibility. States were given the power to establish voting
requirements for their particular state, so long as the method used did not violate
federal law (i.e. amendments). Motor Voter started in 1993, which allows people to
register to vote when they apply for or renew their driver’s license.
Evolution of Voting:
Initially, all rich, white, religious men 21+
1870 – 15th Amendment: African American Men 21+
1920 – 19th Amendment: Women 21+
1924 – American Indians given citizenship
1964 – 24th Amendment: eliminated poll taxes
1965 – Voting Rights Act of 1954: eliminated literacy tests and all other
obstacles to voting
1971 – 26th Amendment: Men & women 18-20
General Election – elections in which voters elect officeholders (local, state, fed
levels)
Primary Election – where voters determine party nominees (top Dem, top Rep, etc)
Presidential Election – where voters elect the president
Midterm Election – in between Presidential Election years (ALL 435 members of the
House are up for election/reelection every 2 years)
Voter Turnout – the proportion of the voting-age public that actually votes
Party Identification – an informal / subjective affiliation with a political party that
people usually develop during childhood.
Prospective Issue Voting – voting based on what a candidate pledges to do in the
future about an issue if elected.
Retrospective Issue Voting – Holding incumbents responsible for their records on
issues such as the economy and foreign policy.