Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman
Chapter 6: Public Opinion and Political Action
• The American People• How Americans Learn About Politics: Political
Socialization• Measuring Public Opinion and Political
Information• What Americans Value: Political Ideologies• How Americans Participate in Politics• Understanding Public Opinion and Political
Action• Summary
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman
Chapter Outline and Learning Objectives
• The American People• LO 6.1: Identify demographic trends and
their likely impact on American politics.
• How Americans Learn About Politics: Political Socialization• LO 6.2: Outline how various forms of
socialization shape political opinions.
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman
Chapter Outline and Learning Objectives
• Measuring Public Opinion and Political Information• LO 6.3: Explain how polls are conducted
and what can be learned from them about American public opinion.
• What Americans Value: Political Ideologies• LO 6.4: Assess the influence of political
ideology on Americans’ political thinking and behavior.
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Chapter Outline and Learning Objectives
• How Americans Participate in Politics• LO 6.5: Classify forms of political
participation into two broad types.
• Understanding Public Opinion and Political Action• LO 6.6: Analyze how public opinion about
the scope of government guides political behavior.
The American PeopleLO 6.1: Identify demographic trends and their likely impact on American politics.
• Public Opinion• The distribution of the population’s beliefs
about politics and policy issues.• For American government to work efficiently
and effectively, the diversity of the public and its opinions must be channeled through the political process.
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Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman
The American People
• The Immigrant Society• The American Melting Pot• The Regional Shift• The Graying of America
To Learning Objectives
LO 6.1
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The American People
• The Immigrant Society• United States is a nation of immigrants.• Three waves of immigration into the United
States are mainly (1) Northwestern Europeans prior to late 19th Century, (2) Southern and eastern Europeans in late 19th and early 20th centuries, and (3) Hispanics and Asians in late 20th century.
To Learning Objectives
LO 6.1
To Learning Objectives
LO 6.1
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman
The American People
• The American Melting Pot• Melting pot – The mixing of cultures,
ideas, and peoples that has changed the American nation.
• Minority majority – Emergence of a non-Caucasian majority.
• Political culture is an overall set of values widely shared within a society.
To Learning Objectives
LO 6.1
To Learning Objectives
LO 6.1
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman
To Learning Objectives
LO 6.1
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman
The American People
• The Regional Shift• Much of America’s population growth since
World War II has been centered in the West and South.
• Reapportionment is the process of reallocating seats in the House of Representatives every 10 years on the basis of the results of the census.
To Learning Objectives
LO 6.1
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The American People
• The Graying of America• Aging population – Implications for Social
Security.• Social Security is a pay as-you-go system,
which means that today’s workers pay the benefits for today’s retirees.
• By 2040, there will be only about two workers per retiree.
To Learning Objectives
LO 6.1
To Learning Objectives
LO 6.1
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How Americans Learn About Politics: Political SocializationLO 6.2: Outline how various forms of socialization shape political opinions.
• Political Socialization• The process through which individuals in a
society acquire political attitudes, views, and knowledge, based on inputs from family, schools, the media, and others.
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Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman
How Americans Learn About Politics: Political Socialization
• The Process of Political Learning• School – Schools socialize the youth into
political culture.• The Family – Parents give their children
political attitudes.
To Learning Objectives
LO 6.2
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How Americans Learn About Politics: Political Socialization
• The Process of Political Learning (cont.)• The Mass Media – TV gives people
information about politics.• Aging – Increases political participation
and strength of party attachment.
To Learning Objectives
LO 6.2
Measuring Public Opinion and Political InformationLO 6.3: Explain how polls are conducted and what can be learned from them about American public opinion.
• How Polls Are Conducted• The Role of Polls in American
Democracy• What Polls Reveal About Americans’
Political Information• The Decline of Trust in Government
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Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman
Measuring Public Opinion and Political Information
• How Polls Are Conducted• Sample – People in survey to be
representative of the whole.• Random Sampling – People should get
equal probability of being selected for the sample.
• Sampling Error – Confidence in public opinion poll findings.
To Learning Objectives
LO 6.3
To Learning Objectives
LO 6.3
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Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman
Measuring Public Opinion and Political Information
• The Role of Polls in American Democracy• Polls help politicians detect public
preferences.• Critics – Politicians think more about
following than leading public; bandwagon effect distort elections; exit polls discourage voting; and wording of questions manipulate answers.
To Learning Objectives
LO 6.3
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Measuring Public Opinion and Political Information
• What Polls Reveal About Americans’ Political Information• Americans don’t know much about politics.• Americans may know their basic beliefs but
not how that affects policies of the government.
To Learning Objectives
LO 6.3
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Measuring Public Opinion and Political Information
• The Decline of Trust in Government• Since 1964, trust in government has
declined.• Trust in government has gone up
somewhat since 9/11/2001.
To Learning Objectives
LO 6.3
What Americans Value: Political IdeologiesLO 6.4: Assess the influence of political ideology on Americans’ political thinking and behavior.
• Political Ideology• A coherent set of beliefs about politics,
public policy, and public purpose, which helps give meaning to political events.
• Liberal ideology supports a wide scope for the government.
• Conservative ideology supports a less active scope of government. To Learning Objectives
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Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman
What Americans Value: Political Ideologies
• Who Are the Liberals and Conservatives?
• Do People Think in Ideological Terms?
To Learning Objectives
LO 6.4
To Learning Objectives
LO 6.4
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Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman
What Americans Value: Political Ideologies
• Who Are the Liberals and Conservatives?• Americans pick ideological label of
conservative over liberal.• In 2008, 36% were conservatives, 38%
were moderates, and just 26% were liberals.
• Gender gap – Women are more likely to support Democratic candidates.
To Learning Objectives
LO 6.4
To Learning Objectives
LO 6.4
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Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman
What Americans Value: Political Ideologies
• Do People Think in Ideological Terms?• Ideologues (12%) – Yes they do.• Group Benefits (42%) – Think of groups
they like or dislike.• Nature of the Times (24%) – If times are
good or bad to them.• No issue content (22%) – Vote for party or
personality.To Learning Objectives
LO 6.4
To Learning Objectives
LO 6.4
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How Americans Participate in PoliticsLO 6.5: Classify forms of political participation into two broad types.
• Political Participation• All the activities used by citizens to
influence the selection of political leaders or the policies they pursue.
• Most common means of political participation in a democracy is voting; other means include protest and civil disobedience.
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Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman
How Americans Participate in Politics
• Conventional Participation• Protest as Participation• Class, Inequality, and Participation
To Learning Objectives
LO 6.5
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How Americans Participate in Politics
• Conventional Participation• Voting in elections.• Working in campaigns or running for office.• Contacting elected officials.• Ringing doorbells for a petition.• Running for office.
To Learning Objectives
LO 6.5
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How Americans Participate in Politics
• Protest as Participation• Protest – Designed to achieve policy
changes through dramatic and unconventional tactics.
• Civil disobedience – Reflects a conscious decision to break a law believed to be immoral and to suffer the consequences.
• Violence – Riots and fighting.
To Learning Objectives
LO 6.5
To Learning Objectives
LO 6.5
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman
How Americans Participate in Politics
• Class, Inequality, and Participation• Class-biased activity – Citizens of higher
socioeconomic status participating more than others.
• Minorities are below average in terms of participation.
• Who gets what in politics depends on who participates.
To Learning Objectives
LO 6.5
To Learning Objectives
LO 6.5
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Understanding Public Opinion and Political ActionLO 6.6: Analyze how public opinion about the scope of government guides political behavior.
• Public Attitudes Toward the Scope of Government
• Democracy, Public Opinion, and Political Action
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Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman
Understanding Public Opinion and Political Action
• Public Attitudes Toward the Scope of Government• Many people have no opinion about scope of
government.• Public opinion is inconsistent, which may lead
to policy gridlock.
To Learning Objectives
LO 6.6
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Understanding Public Opinion and Political Action
• Democracy, Public Opinion, and Political Action• Americans select leaders in democratic elections.• Polls reveal that Americans know little about
candidates’ issues.• People vote more for performance than policy.
To Learning Objectives
LO 6.6
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LO 6.1Summary
• The American People• Immigration has accelerated in America in recent
decades.• The size of the minority population has increased
greatly.• By 2050, whites will represent less than 50% of the
population.• The population has also been aging and moving to
Sunbelt states such as California, Texas, and Florida.
To Learning Objectives
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Which of the following is the fastest-growing group in the United States?
A. African Americans
B. Asian Americans
C. Hispanics
D. Native Americans
To Learning Objectives
LO 6.1
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman
Which of the following is the fastest-growing group in the United States?
A. African Americans
B. Asian Americans
C. Hispanics
D. Native Americans
To Learning Objectives
LO 6.1
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LO 6.2Summary
• How Americans Learn About Politics: Political Socialization• The principal actors in the socialization
process are the family, the media, and schools.• As people age, the firmness with which they
hold political attitudes, such as party identification, tends to increase.
To Learning Objectives
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The main source of political socialization WITHIN the context is government and civics classes.
A. school
B. family
C. mass media
D. all of the above
To Learning Objectives
LO 6.2
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The main source of political socialization WITHIN the context is government and civics classes.
A. school
B. family
C. mass media
D. all of the above
To Learning Objectives
LO 6.2
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LO 6.3Summary
• Measuring Public Opinion and Political Information• Polls are conducted through the technique of random
sampling.• A random sample of 1,000 will yield results within
plus or minus three percentage points of what would be found if everyone were interviewed.
• Polls detect public preferences and how informed we are about issues.
To Learning Objectives
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Which of the following ensures that the opinions of several hundred million Americans can be inferred through polling?
A. Random sampling.
B. Sampling error.
C. Population sampling that ensures a sample size of at least 1,000 to 1,500 people.
D. All of the above.
To Learning Objectives
LO 6.3
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Which of the following ensures that the opinions of several hundred million Americans can be inferred through polling?
A. Random sampling.
B. Sampling error.
C. Population sampling that ensures a sample size of at least 1,000 to 1,500 people.
D. All of the above.
To Learning Objectives
LO 6.3
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LO 6.4Summary
• What Americans Value: Political Ideologies• A political ideology is a coherent set of values and
beliefs about public policy.• The two most prominent ideologies in American
politics are conservatism and liberalism.• These ideologies guide people’s thinking on policy
issues.
To Learning Objectives
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LO 6.4Summary
• What Americans Value: Political Ideologies (cont.)• 62% of Americans call themselves either
conservatives or liberals.• Americans are conservative (36%) in principle
but liberal (26%) in practice; that is, they are against big government but favor more spending on a wide variety of programs.
To Learning Objectives
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Americans are more likely to be .
A. conservative than liberal
B. liberal than conservative
C. moderate than conservative
D. moderate than liberal
To Learning Objectives
LO 6.4
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Americans are more likely to be .
A. conservative than liberal
B. liberal than conservative
C. moderate than conservative
D. moderate than liberal
To Learning Objectives
LO 6.4
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LO 6.5Summary
• How Americans Participate in Politics• Conventional participation includes voting,
writing letters or e-mails to public officials, attending political meetings, signing petitions, and giving money to campaigns and political groups.
To Learning Objectives
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LO 6.5Summary
• How Americans Participate in Politics (cont.)• Unconventional participation includes attending
protest demonstrations and acts of civil disobedience.
• Citizens of higher social economic status participate more in American politics.
To Learning Objectives
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman
Which of the following type of political participation is most common in the United States?
A. Protesting a governmental policy.
B. Litigating through the court system.
C. Writing to a member of Congress.
D. Voting in elections.
To Learning Objectives
LO 6.5
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman
Which of the following type of political participation is most common in the United States?
A. Protesting a governmental policy.
B. Litigating through the court system.
C. Writing to a member of Congress.
D. Voting in elections.
To Learning Objectives
LO 6.5
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LO 6.6Summary
• Understanding Public Opinion and Political Action• Conservatives think the scope of government
has become too wide in recent decades.• Liberals believe the scope of government
should be further increased and support the 2010 Health Insurance Reform Act.
To Learning Objectives
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman
Public opinion polls reveal that Americans
A. are ideological liberals but operational conservatives.
B. oppose the idea of big government in principle but favor it in practice.
C. favor the idea of big government in principle but oppose it in practice.
D. are ideological moderates.
To Learning Objectives
LO 6.6
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman
Public opinion polls reveal that Americans
A. are ideological liberals but operational conservatives.
B. oppose the idea of big government in principle but favor it in practice.
C. favor the idea of big government in principle but oppose it in practice.
D. are ideological moderates.
To Learning Objectives
LO 6.6
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Text Credits
• Excerpt from “Most Don’t Know What ‘Public Option’ Is,” August 27, 2009, http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2009/08/poll-mostdont-know-what-public-option.html. Used with permission.
• US Census Bureau, http://www.census.gov/population/www/projections/files/nation/summary/np2008-t4.xls.
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman
Photo Credits
• 186: AP Photos• 188: Jason Smith/Getty Images• 191: Bob Daemmrich/The Image Works• 192: Virginie Montot/Getty Images• 196: Sven Hagolani/Getty Images • 200: www.cartoonstock.com• 208: AP Photos
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