american government and politics todaytitle: american government and politics today author: shaun...

Copyright © 2014 Cengage Learning

PUBLIC OPINION

AND POLITICAL

SOCIALIZATION

Chapter Six

Copyright © 2014 Cengage LearningCopyright © 2014 Cengage Learning

Learning Outcomes

1. Define public opinion and identify at least

two ways public opinion impacts

government actions.

2. Evaluate how the political socialization

process shapes political attitudes, opinions,

and behavior; explain how demographic

characteristics impact political behavior.

2


Learning Outcomes

3. Describe three forms of social media and

explain how social media can shape

political decisions or events.

4. Identify three factors that might distort

public opinion results collected through

opinion polling.

5. Assess the impact that world opinion of the

United States has on the government’s

domestic and foreign policy decisions.

3


Defining Public Opinion

Public opinion: aggregate of individual

attitudes or beliefs shared by some portion

of the adult population

Types:

Consensus

Divisive opinion

Nonopinion

4


Consensus Opinion5


Divisive Opinion6


Nonopinion7


Defining Public Opinion8

Public opinion and policymaking

Sometimes difficult to assess public opinion

Policymakers generally responsive, especially

when opinion changes dramatically

Can serve to set limits on government


How Public Opinion Is Formed:

Political Socialization

Models of political

socialization

Family

Education

Peers and peer group

Opinion leaders

Political change

9



How Public Opinion Is Formed:

Political Socialization

Impact of the media

Agenda-setting effect

Political forum for leaders and public

Managed news

Influence of political events

Life cycle effect

Generational effect (cohort effect)

10


Political Preferences and Voting Behavior

Demographic Influences

Education

Economic status

Religious influence: Denomination

Religiosity

Race and ethnicity

Gender

Geographic region

11


Votes by Groups in Presidential Elections,

1992-2012 (in Percentages)12


Political Preferences and Voting Behavior13


Gender Gap in Presidential Elections,

1980-201214


The Purple Election Map15


Measuring Public Opinion

The history of opinion polls

Straw polls or mail surveys (1800s)

Subscriber questionnaires (early 20th century)

Gallup and Roper polls (mid-20th century)

Improved sampling and scientific methods

(1950s and beyond)

16



Sampling Techniques

Representative sampling

Most important principle is randomness

Every person should have known chance, and

especially an equal chance, of being sampled

Small sample should be representative if scientific

procedures followed

Quota sampling (less accurate)

17



Problems with polls

Sampling errors

Poll questions

Push polls

18


Technology, Public Opinion and the

Political Process

Public opinion and the political process

Politicians see as important to success

Elected officials see as source of power

But not equivalent to elections

19



Political Process

Political culture and public opinion

Common American political culture shared by

diverse populace

Most important values:

Liberty, equality and property

Support for religious freedom

Community service and personal achievement

Political trust and support for political system

varies

20


Reaction to How the Nation

Is Being Governed21



Political Process

Public opinion about government

Ambivalence about many institutions

Declining confidence

Public emphasizes immediate problems

(economy) more than long-term ones (crime)

Views about political process affect country’s

ability to deal with challenges and resolve

conflicts

22


Perceived Most Important Problem

Facing the U.S.23


Polling Issues?24

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