AP GOVERNMENT PUBLIC OPINION Chapter 5 PUBLIC OPINION

AP GOVERNMENT PUBLIC OPINION Chapter 5

PUBLIC OPINION • The aggregate of individual attitudes or beliefs by some portion of the adult population • No ONE public opinion • Consensus Opinion – majority portion of the public expresses the same view

• Divisive Opinion - when the public holds widely differing attitudes • John Q Public – average man or woman on the street • Middle America – (Kraft, 1968) refers to Americans not in poverty but not yet affluent & hold traditional middle class values • Silent Majority – people w/traditional

What Shapes Our Public Opinions? 1. FAMILY – the majority of young people identify with their parents’ political party Most important factor! – Table 5. 1

• When do we acquire our political knowledge? –Preschool – ideas of authority and rules –Elementary School – concept of govt as an institution AND political figures portrayed as honest and benevolent

–Adolescence – Begin to identify with a political party (can id w/liberal and conservative) –Adulthood – generally no change in political beliefs • Major life change could change beliefs

Other Factors that Shape our PO… 2. Religion – for 2 reasons: 1. The social status of a religion (Catholics and Jews were often poor immigrants and ∴ are more liberal) 2. Religious Tradition (Protestants emphasize personal salvation ∴ are more conservative)

Other Factors continue… 3. Gender More women identify with the liberal view (Democratic) Figure 5. 1 The gender gap is the difference in political views between men and women (Table 5. 3)

Other Factors continue… 4. Schooling – College students are more liberal than the general population More schooling increases the rate at which people participate in politics WHY? 3 reasons on page

People more likely to vote… • Middle age or older • White • Highly educated • Outside the South • Male • Married • White Collared Job • Long time residents • Wealthy

SOCIAL CLASS • Has changed over the decades –EX. Occupation Professionals – conservative in 50 s but more liberal in 60 s

What has remained constant? • Unskilled workers tend to be more Democratic • ↑in higher educational degrees favors Democrats (16 points gained)

RACE and ETHNICITY • African Americans – Democratic • Whites – Republican • Are the differences narrowing? – Younger AAs more likely to be Republican (26%) Table 5. 6 (but is that trend changing with the election of Obama? ) – Differing views b/t leaders and AA

• Most Latinos are Democratic –Except Cubans – Republican –Mexican – most Democratic • Asians more Republican –Japanese most conservative –Koreans more liberal

REGIONAL DIFFERENCES • Southerners more conservative (social issues) –Table 5. 8 (only white Protestants) –Pro business (less so to organized labor) –Less Democratic (Dixiecrats)

Political Ideology • Liberal v. Conservative • Either has a patterned of set beliefs about how govt should operate • TWO MAIN CATEGORIES –Economics and Personal

Measuring Political Ideology… 1. Self labeling 2. How accurate your ideology is based on your views on particular subjects

• Most Americans are moderates Then Conservatives Last Liberals

Changes in the Definitions… • Early 1800’s, liberalism meant personal and economic freedom from the state –Conservatives favored restoration of the state (more govt control) • FDR – liberal referred to

DEFINE THE FOLLOWING: • Pure Liberal • Pure Conservative • Libertarian • Populist • Political Elite (activists)

INCONSISTENCIES in Public Opinions • 1992 -President George Bush • Presidential Approval rating at a low (<40%) • Disapproval of Congress (about 80%) • Pride in being American over 90%

Public Opinion Polling • Sampling must be representative and random • Complete list of all available people • Selection of a random # to be interviewed –Equal chance of being chosen

DIVISION OF U. S. • Division of nation into regions • Regions into subregions • Select several subregions in each region • Random sample of each subregion – Random # phone callers – Every X # of houses

Sampling Error • Difference between sample and entire population Margin of Error • Accuracy of poll increases when the # polled increases

Other Inaccuracies • Type of Questions –Emotional-loaded questions (please the interviewer) –Differences in wording • Respondents’ truthfulness

Push Polling • Given misleading information in the questions • To vote AGAINST a particular candidate

Opinions of Various Groups • Gender differences –Health for women, defense for men • Age differences –Less military-conscious at younger age

• Class differences –Education and income gap –Poorer-gov’t assistance –Middle to upper class-support civil liberties

• Regional differences –South-strong military –South-prayer in school –White southerners-minimum support for civil rights

• Racial differences –Race gap –OJ Simpson (divisive opinions) –Civil Rights support –More than Million March –Criticizing the Katrina Efforts –% of AA who voted for Obama v. % of all Americans who voted for Obama