Unit 2 Political Beliefs and Behavior American Political

Unit 2 Political Beliefs and Behavior American Political Culture Reference: All photos are copied from Google Images 1

Focus Questions Who Governs? 1. Do Americans trust their government? 2. Why do we accept great difference in wealth and income? To What Ends? 1. Why does our government behave differently than governments in countries with similar constitutions? 2

Learning Objectives Define what scholars mean by political culture, and list some of the dominate aspects of political culture in the United States. 2. Discuss how American citizens compare with those of other countries in their political attitudes. 3. List the contributions to United States political culture made by the Revolution, by the nation’s religious heritage, and by the family. Explain the apparent absence of class consciousness in the U. S. 4. Define internal and external political efficacy, and explain how the level of each of these has varied over the past generations. 1. 3

Political Culture A distinctive and patterned way of thinking about how political and economic life ought to be carried out For example, Americans generally believe more strongly in political than in economic equality 4

Elements of the American View of the Political System Liberty–rights Equality–equal vote; equal chance to participate and succeed Democracy–government is accountable to the people Civic duty–take community affairs seriously and become involved when possible Individual responsibility – individuals responsible for their own actions and well-being 5

Questions About the U. S. Political Culture 1. How do we know people share these beliefs? 2. How do we explain behavior inconsistent with these beliefs? 3. Why is there so much political conflict in U. S. history 4. Is equal opportunity the same is equal ability? 6

Beliefs about the Economy Americans support free enterprise, but support some limits on marketplace freedom Americans believe in equality of opportunity but not equality of result Americans have a widely shared commitment to economic individualism 7

Civic Duty and Competence Civic duty: a belief that one has an obligation to participate in civic and political affairs Civic competence: a belief that one can affect government policies 8

Comparing America with other Nations AMERICANS SWEDES JAPANESE Tend to assert rights Defer government to experts and specialists Value good relations with colleagues Emphasize individualism, competition, equality, following rules, treating others fairly, but impersonally Believe in what is best more than what people want Emphasize group decisions and social harmony Acknowledge flaws, very proud of their nationality, willing to fight for their country Value equality as much as (or more than) liberty Respect hierarchy Americans are highly religious compared to Europeans Religious beliefs have played an important role in American politics Both liberals and conservatives have and do use the pulpit to promote 9 political change

Attitudes Towards Economic Equality 10

Sources of Political Culture 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. . Historical Roots Legal-Sociological Factors The Culture War Mistrust of Government Political Efficacy Political tolerance 11

Historical Roots 1. American Revolution was over liberty – asserting rights 2. Constitution, thought, dealt with other issues as well; it was an effort to reconcile personal liberty with social control 3. Adversarial culture -due to distrust of authority and a belief that human nature is depraved 4. Federalist – Jeffersonian transition in 1800 – reconciling the need and the suspicion of government. Legitimated the role of the opposition party, demonstrating that liberty and political change can co-exist 12

Legal-Sociological Factors 1. Widespread (not universal) participation permitted by Constitution 2. Absence of an established national religion a. Religious diversity a source of cleavage b. Absence of established religion has facilitated the absence of political orthodoxy c. Puritan heritage (dominant tradition) stress on personal achievement: (1) Work (2) Save money (3) Obey secular law (4) Do good works (5) Embrace "Protestant ethic" (work ethic) 13

Legal-Sociological Factors Continued…. d. Miniature political systems produced by churches' congregational organization, so civic and political skills could develop 3. Family instills the ways we think about world and politics a. Greater freedom of children and equality among family members leads to belief in rights and acceptance of diverse views in decision-making 4. High degree of class consciousness absent a. Most people consider themselves middle class b. Even unemployed do not oppose management c. Message of Horatio Alger stories is still popular 14

The Culture War 1. Two cultural classes in America battle over values 2. Culture war differs from political disputes in three ways: a. Money is not at stake b. Compromises are almost impossible c. Conflict is more profound 3. Culture conflict animated by deep differences in people's beliefs about private and public morality 4. Culture war about what kind of country we ought to live in 5. Simplify by identifying two camps a. Orthodox: morality more important than self-expression with fixed rules from God (Conservative Protestants) b. Progressive: personal freedom more important than tradition with changing rules based on circumstances of modern life (Liberal Protestants)

Mistrust of Government There is evidence that mistrust has increased since the late 1950 s Causes: Watergate, the Vietnam War and Clinton impeachment Public confidence is likely flow with circumstances No dramatic change in confidence in Americans Source: Wilson, J. & Dilulio, J. American Government. Houghton Mifflin Company. New York: 2008. 16

Political Efficacy A. Definition: citizen's capacity to understand influence political events B. Parts 1. Internal efficacy a. Confidence in one's ability to understand influence events b. About the same as in 1950 s 2. External efficacy a. Belief that system will respond to citizens b. Not shaped by particular events c. Declined steadily through 1960 s and 1970 s d. Government becoming too big to respond to individual C. Comparison: efficacy still much higher than Europeans' D. Conclusion: Americans today may not be more alienated but simply more realistic 17

Political Tolerance A. Crucial to democratic politics 1. Free discussion of ideas 2. Select rulers without oppression B. Levels of American political tolerance 1. Most Americans assent in abstract but would deny rights in concrete cases 2. Most are willing to allow expression by those with whom they disagree 3. Becoming more tolerant in recent decades C. Question: How do very unpopular groups survive? 1. Most people do not act on beliefs 2. Officeholders and activists more tolerant than general public 3. Usually no consensus exists on whom to persecute 4. Courts are sufficiently insulated from public opinion to enforce protection D. Conclusions 1. Political liberty cannot be taken for granted 2. No group should pretend it is always more tolerant than another 18

Focus Questions Who Governs? To What Ends? 1. How does public opinion in America vary by race, gender, and other differences? 2. What is political Ideology, and how does it affect political behavior and public policy 1. What role did the Framers of the Constitution think public opinion should play in American democracy? 2. When, if ever, should public policies mirror majority opinion? 19

Learning Objectives 1. List the sources of our political attitudes and indicate which are the most important. 1. Explain why there are crosscutting cleavages between liberals and conservatives in this country. Assess the significance of race, ethnicity, and gender in explaining political attitudes. 1. Define political ideology and give reasons why most Americans do not think ideologically. Summarize the liberal and conservative positions on the economy, civil rights, and political conduct. 1. Discuss the new class theory as an explanation for changes in attitudes. Analyze why this change is causing strain in the political party system. 20

The Founding Fathers Thoughts on Public Opinion 1. They did not try to create a government that would do from day to day what the people wanted. 2. The created a government for the purpose of achieving certain goals. 2. They included Federalism, Separation of Powers, and Checks and Balances to keep a check on public opinion. 2. They knew that a nation as large and diverse as the United States that the public would be in small factions holding a variety of opinions; that the struggle among these many opinions would protect liberty. “to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, ensure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessing of Liberty. ” – Preamble to the Constitution 21

What is Public Opinion? How people think and feel about particular things. How Polling Works Poll Random sample Sampling error Exit polls l 22

How Opinions Differ Opinion saliency – care more about certain issues than other people Opinion stability – opinions on an issue is pretty steady, while others might be more volatile Opinion-policy congruence – some public opinions are in sync with the government, while others are not in sync 23

Political Socialization The process by which background traits influence one’s political views. We become political socialized by: Family Religion The Gender Gap Schooling and Information 24

Cleavages in Public Opinion Social Class Race & Ethnicity Region 25

Political Ideology Political ideology - A more or less consistent set of beliefs about what policies government ought to pursue. Political Scientists measure a person’s political ideology by: - How frequently someone identifies themselves as a liberal or a conservative - Whether their policy preferences are consistent over time, or are based on consistent principles 26

Liberalism and Conservatism Issue Liberalism Conservatism Civil Rights Favors strong federal action to desegregate schools and increase hiring opportunities for minorities Does not favor strong federal action to desegregate schools and increase hiring opportunities for minorities Economy Favors government efforts to ensure everyone has a job Does not favor government efforts to ensure everyone has a job Political Conduct Favors tolerance toward protest demonstrations, legalizing marijuana, and protecting the rights of the accused Does not favor tolerance toward protest demonstrations, legalizing marijuana, or protecting the rights of the accused Show Video from Bookmarks 27

People Mix Liberal and Conservative Positions 1. Pure Liberals: Liberal on both economic and personal conduct issues 2. Pure Conservatives: Conservative on both economic and personal conduct issues 3. Libertarians: Conservative on economic issues and, liberal on personal conduct issues 4. Populists: Liberal on economic issues, conservative on personal conduct issues. 28

Political Elites Persons with a disproportionate share of political power. Elites raise and frame political issues. Elites state the norms by which issues should be settled. Play Video from Bookmarks 29

Focus Questions Who Governs? 1. Who votes, who doesn’t? 2. Why do some people participate in politics at a higher rates than others? To What Ends? 1. How did the Framers of the Constitution think average citizens should participate in American’s representative democracy? 2. Should today’s college-age citizens participate more in politics? 30

Learning Objectives 1. Explain why the text believes that the description, the analysis, and many of the proposed remedies for low voter turnout rates in the United States are primarily off. 2. Compare the way that turnout statistics are tabulated for the United States and for other countries, and explain the significance of these differences. 3. Describe how control of the elections has shifted from the states to the federal government, and explain what effect this shift has had on blacks, women, and youth. 4. State both sides of the debate over whether voter turnout has declined over the past century, and describe those factors that tend to hold down voter turnout in the United States. 31

Voting-age population – citizens who are eligible to vote after reaching the minimum age requirement. Registered voters – people who are registered to vote. What is the problem with low voter turnout? A relatively low percentage of the voting-age population is registered to vote. Approximately 67% of eligible Americans are registered to vote. 32

How Easy is it to Register to Vote? Motor-voter law of 1993 took effect in 1995 increased registration throughout the country 33

Trends in Voting 34

Voting by Age Source: U. S. Census 35

Education and Voting 36

Voting By Race 37

The Rise of the American Electorate From State To Federal Control 1. Initially, states decided who could vote for which offices 2. This led to wide variation in federal elections 3. Congress has since reduced state prerogatives a. 1842 law: House members elected by district b. Suffrage to women c. Suffrage to blacks d. Suffrage to eighteen- to twenty-year-olds e. Direct popular election of U. S. senators 38

Black Voting Rights 1. Fifteenth Amendment devastated by Supreme Court as not conferring a right to vote 2. Southern states then used evasive stratagems (a) Literacy test (b) Poll tax (c) White primaries (d) Grandfather clauses (e) Intimidation of black voters 3. Major change with 1965 Voting Rights Act; black vote increases 39

Women and Youth Voting Women's voting rights a. Several western states permitted women to vote by 1915 b. Nineteenth Amendment ratified 1920 c. No dramatic changes in outcomes Youth vote a. Voting Rights Act of 1970 b. Twenty-sixth Amendment ratified 1971 c. Lower turnout; no particular party *** National standards now govern most aspects of voter eligibility ***Twenty-third Amendment ratified 1961, gave District of Columbia 40 residents the right to vote in presidential elections

Who Votes? Six Forms of Participation (Verba and Nie) In-actives • • • 22% of population Rarely vote Do not get involved in organizations Probably do not even talk about politics Typically have little education, have low incomes, and are young Activists Voting Specialists • 11% of population • Participate in all forms of politics • Tend to be highly educated • High income earners • Mostly middle-aged rather than young or old • People who vote but do little else • Limited education / income • Typically substantially older than the average person 41

Six Forms of Participation Campaigners • • • Vote but also like to get involved in campaign activities Better educated than the average voters Distinguished by their interest in the conflicts, passions, and struggle of politics Clearly identified with one political party Willingness to take strong positions Communalists • • Similar to campaigners in social background but with different temperament Do not like the conflict and tension of partisan campaigns Tend to focus more on community activities / non-partisan Focused more on local issues Parochial Participants • Do not vote • Stay out of election campaigns and civic associations • Willing to contact local officials about specific, often personal problems 42

Voting Participation 1. Those with schooling, or political information, more likely to vote 2. Churchgoers vote more 3. Men and women vote same rate 4. Race – Blacks participate less the whites 5. Level of trust in government? Studies show no correlation between distrust and not voting 6. Difficulty of registering - As turnout has declined, registration barriers have been lowered 43

Voting Participation Cont…. . 7. Several small factors decrease turnout a. More youths, blacks, and other minorities in population, pushing down percent registered b. Decreasing effectiveness of parties in mobilizing voters c. Remaining impediments to registration d. Voting compulsory in other nations e. Possible feeling that elections do not matter 8. Democrats, Republicans fight over solutions a. No one really knows who would be helped by increased turnout b. Nonvoters tend to be poor, minority, or uneducated c. But an increasing percentage of college graduates are also not 44 voting

The Meaning of Participation Rates 1. Americans vote less, but participate more a. Other forms of activity becoming more common b. Some forms more common here than in other countries 2. Americans elect more officials and have more elections 3. U. S. turnout rates heavily skewed to higher status persons 45