introduction & political socialization. characteristics of public opinion public attitudes...
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PUBLIC OPINION:Introduction & Political Socialization
CHARACTERISTICS OF PUBLIC OPINIONPublic attitudes toward a given government
policy can vary over time, often dramaticallyPublic opinion places boundaries on
allowable types of public policyIf asked by pollsters, citizens are willing to
register opinions on matters outside their expertise
CHARACTERISTICS OF PUBLIC OPINIONGovernments tend to respond to public
opinion Example – death penaltyMajoritarian politics
The government sometimes does not do what the public wants Example – Court declared school prayer
unconstitutionalPluralist politics
WHAT IS PUBLIC OPINION???Collected attitudes of citizens concerning a
given issue or questionsPolling is a relatively new feature of
American lifeBefore polling, most observers used newspaper
stories, politicians’ speeches and voting in order to determine public opinion
PUBLIC OPINION & THE FRAMERSPublic opinion during the Revolution
40% supported 20% opposed40% neutral
Public opinion was built into our government by a directly elected House of RepresentativesThis would reflect public opinion on crucial
issues like taxes and spending
DISTRIBUTION OF PUBLIC OPINION: SKEWED DISTRIBUTION
Asymmetrical but generally bell shaped distribution
Most frequent response lies off to one side
Indicates homogeneity of opinion
RIGHT – Opinions on Death Penalty
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Favor Don'tKnow
Oppose
DISTRIBUTION OF PUBLIC OPINION: BIMODAL DISTRIBUTION
Distribution that shows two responses being chosen about as frequently as each other
Provides potential for political conflict
RIGHT: Position on Gay Marriage
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
Favor Don'tKnow
Oppose
DISTRIBUTION OF PUBLIC OPINION: NORMAL DISTRIBUTION
Symmetrical bell-shaped distribution centered on a single mode, or frequent response
Public tends to support a moderate government policy It will tolerate policies
that lean slightly left or right
RIGHT – Ideology Self-Placement
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
ExtremelyLiberal
Moderate ExtremelyConservative
STABLE DISTRIBUTIONDistribution that shows little change over
timeWhen different questions on the same issue
produce similar distribution of opinions, underlying attitudes are stable
When the same question produces significantly different responses over time, a shift in public opinion has probably occured
WHAT MAKES THESE QUESTIONS BIASED?“Are you in favor of killing babies?” in an
abortion survey.“Would you say that Bill Clinton clobbered
Bob Dole in the last election?” in a postelection poll.
“Do you like the President?” in a presidential approval rating.
“Whom did you vote for in the last election?” to assess partisan affiliation.
THINK BACK. . .What is your earliest memory of a president?When did you first learn about political
parties?Do you identify with a particular political
party? How did you decide to do so?
WHAT IS POLITICAL SOCIALIZATION??Complex process by which people acquire
their political valuesMost people are exposed to the same sources
of influence (agents of socialization)FamilySchoolCommunityPeersTelevision
AGENTS OF EARLY SOCIALIZATION: FAMILYMost important agent of political socializationChildren tend to learn their social, moral,
religious economic and political values from their parents
Parents who are interested in politics and public affairs tend to influence their children to become more politically aware
Children tend to identify with the political party of their parentsIf they switch, they likely identify themselves as
Independent
THESE AREN’T YOUR GRANDFATHER’S POLITICS!!Since the 1950’s, the number of people
willing to identify themselves as Democrat or Republican has decreased
Children are less likely to share their parent’s attitudes on issues involving civil liberties and racial issues.
Are you pondering what I’m pondering. . . Why might children and parents differ on ideas of civil liberties and race?
AGENTS OF EARLY SOCIALIZATION: ELEMENTARY SCHOOLPrepare children to accept the social order
Introduction to authority figures outside the family (i.e. principal, teacher, etc)
Students learn the nation’s slogans and symbolsPledge of Allegiance, flag, holidays
Stress the norms of group behavior and democratic decision makingRespecting each other’s opinion
Stress on political equality
AGENTS OF EARLY SOCIALIZATION: SECONDARY SCHOOLTeachers challenge students to think
critically about American government and politics
Students become more politically aware of the process and prominent participants in the political process
Teachers try to build children’s trust in the political processExternal factors can oftentimes erode that trust
AGENTS OF SOCIALIZTION: COMMUNITY & PEERSCommunity – people of all ages with whom
you come in contact because of proximityHomogenous communities can exert pressure
on children and adults to conform to the dominant attitude of the community
Peers – friends, classmates, coworkersPeers can provide a defense against community
pressure
HERE’S A THOUGHT??As Americans, are we duped by the media
into thinking one way or another??