POLITICAL CULTURE AND POLITICAL SOCIALIZATION INTRODUCTION Public opinion

POLITICAL CULTURE AND POLITICAL SOCIALIZATION

INTRODUCTION Public opinion on the issues and leaders of the day is transient and fleeting —a snapshot in time. Deeper layers of political attitudes also shape American politics Political Culture widely held ideals and symbols Political Socialization More enduring political orientations that help define someone’s political identity

Political Culture Definition “The common set of attitudes, beliefs, and values that provide the foundation of support for a political system. ” Necessary for political unity and stability Conflicts over political culture can lead to civil war

The American Dream The American dream of personal liberty, equality of opportunity, and personal advancement. Acceptance: Representative democracy Rule of law and the Constitution Capitalism

Continued Religious liberty Belief in compromise Tolerance of others America as a nation of immigrants Diversity

Political Socialization “Political socialization is the process by which we acquire political knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs. ” An important part of one’s political identity and orientation to politics. How do we develop our enduring attitudes and connections to our political system?

Examples of Enduring Political Orientations Partisanship Interest Social (“party identification”) in politics Trust/Trust in Government Efficacy Sense of civic duty Obedience to authority

Question How did you decide to become a Republican, Democrat, or Independent?

Social Learning versus Political Indoctrination by government agencies in authoritarian political systems In modern democracies, political socialization occurs a process of social learning, acquired informally often through role modeling. Most important stage occurs during early childhood often by age 5.

Process Some may be formal, such as a class in civics. Mostly its informal, through daily experiences, exposure, role modeling, how we are treated or see others treated, and expectations. Examples: discussions around the dinner table, voting, school rules

Question How do younger and older adults differ in our orientations to politics?

Discussion—Socialization of Generation Z (Born between 1995 -2010) Which findings do you find most surprising or revealing about millennials?

Life Cycle versus Generational Effects What explains this? Two hypotheses: Life cycle (age) effects as we age, our orientation to politics naturally changes Generational key effects historical experiences in adolescence and early adulthood have an impact on our political orientation

What Is an Hypothesis? An empirically testable claim or prediction that addresses a research question. Empirically testable means you can find facts to support or to disprove your hypothesis. Technically speaking, you don’t prove a hypothesis—you support it. But you can disprove it if the facts can’t support it. The hypothesis suggests both a dependent variable (what is to be explained) and an independent variable (what helps explain it).

Question What historical experiences have shaped your political orientation?