Transcript Chapter 4 - HCC Learning Web

Chapter 4: Public Opinion
American and Texas Government: Policy and Politics,
10/e
By Neal Tannahill
Case Study: Gay & Lesbian Rights
• Gay and lesbian rights is a controversial and an emotional subject in
American politics.
– Supporters define the issue in terms of civil and human rights.
– Opponents regard gay and lesbian rights as a matter of traditional family
values and social permissiveness.
• Public opinion on gay and lesbian rights is divided.
• Questions raised in the exploration of this topic include:
– Why do different groups of Americans hold different opinions on the topic of
gay and lesbian rights?
– What factors account for the development of individual attitudes and beliefs?
– How do scholars measure public opinion on an issue like gay and lesbian
rights?
– What is the nature of public opinion in America?
– To what extent does public opinion influence public policy?
Public Opinion
• In this chapter, students are asked to consider
their own beliefs, how they acquired them,
and how they influence perceptions of
political issues. Also, students are introduced
to survey research methods and material
about the content of public opinion.
Political Socialization
• Political socialization is the process whereby
individuals acquire political knowledge, attitudes,
and beliefs.
– It is a lifelong process, although most scholarly
focus has been on children and adolescents.
– Studies have found that children tend to
personalize and idealize government.
• Agents of Socialization include the family, school,
religious institutions, peer groups, the media, and
events.
– Political authorities often consciously try to shape
public attitudes and beliefs.
Measuring Public Opinion
• The theory behind survey research is that the opinions of a
large population (also referred to as a universe) can be
measured based on interviews with a relatively small sample.
• Sampling
– To be an accurate reflection of a universe, the sample must be
representative of that universe.
– A biased sample is not representative of the universe.
– Margin of error is related to sample size and bears on how poll results
should be interpreted.
– In a random sample, every member of the poll’s universe has just as
much chance of being polled as any other member of the universe.
Copyright @ 2010, 2008, 2006 Pearson Education,
Inc.
Copyright @ 2010, 2008, 2006 Pearson Education,
Inc.
Measuring Public Opinion
• Question Wording
– Some types of invalid questions include:
• Questions that are too complicated or too simple.
• Questions that may be biased tend to produce results tilted to one
side or the other.
• However, certain subjects are difficult to measure because of their
controversial nature.
• Attitudes, Non-Attitudes, and Phantom Opinions
• Interviewer-Respondent Interaction
• Timing
Measuring Public Opinion
• The most carefully conducted survey is only a snapshot of
public opinion on the day of the poll.
• The Content of Public Opinion consists of the combined
personal opinions of adults toward issues of relevance to
government.
• The term attentive public refers to people who have an active
and continuing interest in a particular political issue.
• Political views are held with varying degrees of intensity, and
public opinion waxes and wanes.
Political Knowledge
• Americans are poorly informed about politics
and government. Political ignorance is
especially widespread among younger adults.
Support for Democratic Principles
• Americans support the principles of majority
rule and minority rights in the abstract, but
opinions are mixed when it comes to specific
applications of these concepts.
– For example, Americans favor civil liberties (such
as freedom of speech) for groups they like; they
oppose civil liberties for groups they dislike.
Political Trust and Legitimacy
• Many scholars believe that political trust is essential to
political legitimacy in a democracy.
• Political legitimacy is the popular acceptance of a
government and its officials as rightful authorities in the
exercise of power.
• Some political scientists believe that declining trust in
government officials contributes to a decline in political
legitimacy.
Political Efficacy
• For some Americans, levels of internal political
efficacy have risen over the last two decades,
while levels of external political efficacy have
fallen dramatically.
• Political efficacy is the extent to which people
believe they can affect the policymaking
process.
Political Philosophy
• More Americans say they are conservative than say they are
liberal. The terms political left and political right are used to
describe political ideology.
• Are Americans Liberal or Conservative?
– Liberalism is a political philosophy that favors the use of government
power to foster the development of the individual and promote the
welfare of society.
– Conservatism is the political philosophy that government power
undermines the development of the individual and diminishes society
as a whole.
Political Philosophy
 Opinion Differences Among Groups
 The views of Americans often vary depending on
social class, race, religion, age, region, and gender.
 Social Class: Lower-income Americans are more liberal than
middle- and upper-income people on some issues and more
conservative on other issues.
 Race and Ethnicity: In general, African Americans and Hispanics
hold more liberal views on economic issues than white Americans
do.
 Religion: Religious values and affiliation with different religious
denominations affect many Americans’ political views.
Additionally, church attendance correlates with political
participation.
Political Philosophy
• Opinion Differences Among Groups (cont.)
• Generation: Younger people are more tolerant than their elders,
especially on issues such as women’s rights, civil rights for racial
and ethnic minority groups, and gay and lesbian rights. Despite
conventional wisdom, studies find no evidence that people grow
more conservative as they grow older.
• Region: Differences in political views among people from different
geographical regions are less evident than they once were, but
they still exist.
• Gender: Studies have found major differences between men and
women on a number of issues, particularly those concerning war
and peace and spending on social programs.