Chapter 6: Public Opinion and Political Socialization: Shaping the People’s Voice – Flashcards
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define public opinion.
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The Politically relevant opinions held by ordinary citizens that they express openly.
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Eplain Public Opinion Polls role in Ronald Reagan's Nicaragua sitation.
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Ronald Reagan Used public opinion Polls and his stance on the Crisis in Nicaragua was molded and shakie because of that. If he would have been more resolved, the situation might have goon smoother.
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Describe the Public Opinion polls on Bill Clinton after his affair was revealed.
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Despite having an afair, lying about it, and being found out, Bill Clinton's approval ratings skirocketed to 71%
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Explain Public Opinion polls role in George HW Bush's Kuwait situation.
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Bush build support for his kuwait campaign, consolted with his generals and then started the 6 week Gulf war. His appoval ratings were over 80% after his presidency.
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Define Political Socialization.
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The learning process by which people acquire their political opinions, beliefs, and values.
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Define Political culture
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The characteristic and deep seated beliefs of a particualr people about government and politics.
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How did Alexis de Tocqeville describe Americans unusial comitment to liberty, equality, and self governmnet?
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"Habits of the Heart."
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What are two distinguishing features of political socialization?
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1. Most people's political orientation and outlooks are developed by childhod learning and parenting. 2. the effects of politcal socialization are cumulative. Political orientations usually grow firmer and more resolved with age.
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Define Agents of Socialization.
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Those agents, such as the family and the media, that have a significant impact on citizens political socialization.
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What are the primary agents of socialization? What are the secondary agents of socialization?
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Primary- Family, School, and Church Secondary- Peers, Media, and Leaders
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what did sociologist Herber Hyman conclude conserning primary agents of socialization?
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he comcluded that, "Formost amout agencies of socialization into politics is the family."
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How are US schools different from schools of other democracies?
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US schools are more instrumental in building support for America and its cultural beliefs than are schools in other democracies.
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Explain the role Peers play in politcal socialization.
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In the spral of Science, Elisabeth Noelle-Neuman shows that individuals tend to withhold opinions that are at odds with thos of people around them.
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What did journalist Wlater Lipperman say conserning Media's role in political socialization?
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"The pictures in our heads of the world outside... owe substantially to how the world is portrayed for us by the media."
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Which authority figure has the most influence on public opinion in America?
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The president- for example, after 9/11 President bush declared war on terrorism and invaded Afganistan. Polls showed that 9 out of 10 american supported this war effort.
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Why are frames of reference in politcal thought important?
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1. They provide an indication of how people think politically. 2. The are a basis for common cause.
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define Party identification.
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The personal sense of loyalty that an individual may feel toward a particualar political party. The feeling that "i a a democrat," or, "I am a Republican."
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what are the polling results from the question, "Fenerally speaking, do you think of yourselves as a republican, a democrat, an independent, or what?"
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About 2/3s of participants labeled themselves as either rpublicans or democrats. the 1/3 who labeled themselves independents, said they leaned toward a particualar parties platform.
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What is selective perception?
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selective perception is the process wherby people selectivley choose from incoming information those aspects that support what they already Believe. For Instance, after presidential debates, Republicans believed their candidate won while Democrats believed their candidate won.
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What are some distinctions between the Republican and democaratic parties?
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The Republicans are pro-buisness and believe in tax reduction. The Democrats support social welfare and workers rights policies.
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What did historian Daniel Boorstin argue about the american public?
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Daniel Boorstin believes that americans are pramatists at heart driven less by allegiance to ideology than a desire to finde workable solutions to problems.
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define ideology.
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A consistent pattern of opinion on particular issues that stems from a core belief or set of beliefs.
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How many americans have a true political ideology?
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Less than a fourth of americnas have opinons consistent enough to be judged as having a true political ideology.
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Define economic liberals
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Thos who believe governmet should do more to assist people who have difficulty meeting their economic needs on their own.
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Economic conservatives
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Those who believe government tries to do too many things that should be left to private interests and economic markets.
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Define cultural, or social liberlas
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Thos who believe it is not government's role to buttress tradititional values at the expense of unconventional or new values.
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Define cultural, or social conservatives.
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Thos who beleive government power should be used to uphold traditional values.
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Define libertarians
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Thos who believe government tries to do too many things that should be left to firms and markets, and who oppose government as an instrument for upholding traditional values.
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Populists
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Thos who believe government should do more to assist people who have difficulty meeting their economic needs and who look to goverment to uphold traditional values.
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Which religous sects aremore likely to oppose and or support leagalized abortion.
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Fundamentalists protestants and Roman catholics are more likely to oppose abortion while mainline protestants and jews are less likely to oppose it.
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What religons support social welfare?
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Support for social welfare programs is higger in catholic and Jewish commuinitues than amoung protestants.
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How much more likely are protestants to thing the supreeme court whas gone to far to keep religon out of schools and other areas of life.
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Christians/protestants are a third more likely than other americans to believe that government has gone to far.
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How do politcal opinions differ between men and women?
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A Washington post poll noted that Women are 20% more likely than ment ot favor incresed spending for public education. Also Support for iraw and afghanistan wars was consistently higher amoung men than women.
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What are Cross Cleavages?
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Especially in pluralistic societies there tends to be indivudals who belon to belong to multiple groups and parties. Cross cutting cleveges engourage political differences and polical moderation.
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How many americans participate in mass demonstrations or write letters to editors?
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less than 5% of americans have participated in mass deomonstattes or have written lettors to editors.
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Define a public opinion poll.
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A device for measuring public opinion whereby a relatively small number of individuals are interviewd for the purpose of estimating the opinions of a whole community.
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Define a sample.
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In a public opinion poll the relatively small number of individuals who are interviewd for the purpose of estimating the opinions fo an entire population.
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define population.
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In a public opinion poll, the people whose opinions are being estimated through interviews with a sample of these people.
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Define sampling error.
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A measure of the accuracy of public opinoion poll. the samplng error is mainly a function of sample size and is usually expressed in percentage terms.
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what is probability sampling?
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A sample in which each individual in the population has a known probability of being chosen at random for inclusion.
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What is the science of polling?
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The size f the sample as opposed to the size of the population is the key to accurate estimates.
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What is the typical sampling error for polls?
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+ or - 3%
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Explain the Gallop Organizations roll in presidential polling.
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Every since 1936, gallop has correctly predicted nearly every presidential election. However it sotpped polling several weeks before the 1948 elections and incorrectly stated that Dewey would win. They missed the voting shift favoring Truman.
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What does George Gallop say about public opinion in public policy?
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"the task of the leader is to decide how best to achieve the goals set by the people."
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What does journalist Walter Lipperman say aould public opinions's role in public policy?
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"effective government cannot be conducted by legislatior and officials who, when a question is presented, ask themselves first and last, tnot what is the truth and which is the right and necessary cours, but 'what does the Gallup Poll say?'"
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What are some limits on public opinion's influence?
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Lots of indivuduals support balancing the budget but do not support cuts in costly programs like social security and defencse.
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How many americans think taxes are too high?
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In 2006 Gallop conducted a polll where 48% or repsondence claimed taxes were to high while only 2% of respondence believed they were too low.
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What were the results to the intercollegiate studies institute survey conserning civil literacy of college students?
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The average grade amount 14,000 college students was an F.
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How many college seniors recognise the prase "we hold these truths to be self evident..." from the Declaration of independence?
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only 48% of college seniors identified that phrase from the Dec of Indy.
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How many ivy Leage students identified Abraham Lincoln as the author of the Phrase, "a government of the people, by the people, for the people."?
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Three fourths of students could not identify the phrase and so only one fourth connected it with Abraham Lincoln.
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What does Political scientist V.O. Key believe about PO's role in Policy?
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He concluded that the role of public opinion is the place boundaries on the actions of policial leaders.
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What did FDR say about Social Security?
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FDR said, " No Da** Political can every scrap my social security program."
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Benjamin page and rober Shapiro found what in their study spanning four decades?
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they found that a change in public opion is usually followed by a change in policy.
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In their study of public opinion what did jeff Manza and Fay lomax Cook note?
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"whitin the broad parameters established by public opinion, politicialsn and policy entreprenuers often have substatnial room to maneuver."
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How does party identification usually seperate opinions on different issues?
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for example- during the 2009-2010 health care debate,a 2010 gallup poll noted that republican iddentifiers by more than 3/1 opposed comprehensive health care reform when deomocratic identifiers by more than a 3/1 favored it.
