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American Government 4/e Thomas E. Patterson | |||||
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American Government 4/e Thomas E. Patterson | |||||
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CHAPTER OUTLINE
Introduction
The Bosnian Crisis
Illustrates the impact of opinion upon government
President Clinton’s actions and public opinion
Public opinion’s important role—the will of the people
Chapter theme: public opinion is powerful but inexact
The chapter’s main points:
Public opinion consists of views of ordinary citizens that are openly expressed
Individuals acquire political opinions through the process of political socialization
Americans’ opinions are shaped by frames of reference, including ideology,
group attachments, partisanship, and political culture
Public opinion influences government but usually doesn’t determine its action
The Nature of Public Opinion
Defining Public Opinion
America—A nation of many "publics"
Opinions lacking on some issues
Majority opinion might exist only on a few broad issues
Public opinion affected the Vietnam War
What Role Should Public Opinion Play?
Nisbet: "Public opinion" vs. "Popular opinion"
Gallup: Ordinary citizen’s opinions are important
Government by Majority Opinion?
Public opinion can be contradictory
How Informed Is Public Opinion?
Most Americans are uninformed
The Measurement of Public Opinion
Public opinion is intangible and must be assessed indirectly
Public Opinion Polls
Polls use a "sample" to estimate views of a "population"
Poll accuracy is measured in terms of "sampling error"
Problems with Polls
Some polls are not based upon probability sampling
Poorly worded questions can cause a biased sample
Describing Poll Results
Direction: Favorable or unfavorable opinion
Intensity: Measure of an opinion’s strength
Stability: Stability of opinion over time
Political Socialization: How Americans Learn Their Politics
The Process of Socialization
Socialization is a lifelong process
Primary and structuring tendencies
The age-cohort tendency (among younger citizens)
Socialization in America is a "casual" process
The Agents of Political Socialization
The Family: Children accept parents’ views
The School: Builds support for nation, civic obligations
Peers: Many people trust their friends, neighbors, co-workers
The Mass Media: News coverage can affect people’s political perceptions
Political Leaders and Political Institutions: Shape political debate through symbols
Churches: Important source of politically relevant attitudes
Frames of Reference: How Americans Think Politically
Cultural Thinking: Common Ideas
Commitment to principles such as individualism, equality, self-government
Most Americans reject redistribution-of-wealth programs
Ideological Thinking: The Outlook for Some
Ideological classifications
Conservatives: Favor government action in upholding social values, but not in distributing economic benefits
Liberals: Favor government action in distributing economic benefits, but
not in upholding social values
Populists: Favor government action both in distributing economic benefits and in upholding social values
Libertarians: Oppose government action in distributing economic benefits and in upholding social values
Conservatives are the largest group (31 percent in 1997)
Group Thinking: The Outlook of Many
Religion: Differences among groups on abortion, welfare issues, prayer
Class: Lower-income Americans more supportive of social welfare programs
Region: Due to mobility, regional differences have declined, but some persist
Race: Whites and African Americans differ on integration, crime, welfare
Gender: Women and men differ welfare and state-sponsored force
Age: Young and old differ on public school funding, programs for retirees
Partisan Thinking: The Line That Divides
Party identification—"a person’s ingrained sense of loyalty to a political party"
Party loyalties can be influenced by issues and candidates of the moment
Partisanship affects perceptions of issues
Partisanship is a strong force, but its influence is declining
The Influence of Public Opinion on Policy
Page and Shapiro: U.S. officials are reasonably responsive to public opinion
Is government sufficiently responsive to public opinion?
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