Chapter 6 Public Opinion and Political Socialization

Chapter 6: Public Opinion and Political Socialization • • • • • • The Measurement of Public Opinion • Public opinion: those politically relevant opinions held by ordinary citizens that are openly expressed. • Election results are a traditional method for assessing public opinion. Public Opinion Polls • Public opinion poll: an estimate of public sentiment. • Measure public opinion using randomly chosen population samples and carefully constructed interviews. • Sample: a relatively small group of individuals that is part of a larger group of individuals. • Population: the larger group of individuals. • Random selection is the key to scientific polling, which is theoretically based on probability sampling. • Accuracy of a poll is expressed in terms of sampling error Opinion Dimensions • Public opinion is characterized by various dimensions. • Direction: pro or con position on an issue. • Intensity: how strongly the position is felt. • Salience: how important people think the issue is among other issues. Problems with Polls • Samples are often based on telephone numbers, but some Americans do not have phones. • Many also refuse to participate in telephone polls • Polled individuals may be unfamiliar with the issues. • Responses are considered < non-opinions.= • Respondents are not always truthful. • Poorly worded questions and poorly ordered questions can also affect results. Political Socialization: The Origins of Americans’ Opinions • Partisanship is a learned response acquired via political socialization. • The process has two distinguishing characteristics: • Continues throughout a person’s lifetime; but for most, heavily influenced by childhood learning. • Effects are cumulative. • Political socialization takes place through primary and secondary agents of socialization. Primary Socializing Agents: Family, School, and Church • Family is the strongest of all agents of socialization. • Has a near-monopoly on the attention of the young child. • Schools, principally early childhood education, are instrumental in building support for the nation and its cultural beliefs. • More so than schools in other democracies. • Scholars have not studied the effects of religion as intently as schools or family, but it is a powerful influence for some. • • • • • • Secondary Socializing Agents: Peers, Media, Leaders, and Events • With age, additional socializing agents come into play and become sources of opinion. • Peers. • Media. • Leaders. • Events. Frames of Reference: How Americans Think Politically • The reference points by which individuals evaluate issues and developments are acquired through the socialization process. • Partisanship. • Ideological leanings. • Group attachments. • Americans’ frames of reference provide an indication of how they think politically and form a basis for a common cause. Party Identification • Party identification: emotional loyalty (not formal membership) to a political party. • Major shifts in loyalty are rare. • Usually these occur in response to a major event. • Partisanship clearly divides American opinion in the everyday world of politics. Political Ideology • Ideology: a general belief about the role and purpose of government. • Economic liberals: government should use is the power to help people who are economically disadvantaged. • Economic conservatives: government should leave the distribution of economic benefits largely to the workings of the free market. • Cultural (social) liberals: lifestyle choices are left to the individual. • Cultural (social) conservatives: government can be used to promote traditional values. • Group Orientations • Many see politics through the lens of group affinity • Religion. • Economic class. • Region. • Race and ethnicity. • Gender. • Generation and age. Crosscutting Groups and Identity Politics • When people identify with more than one group, their group loyalty to any one group is diminished. • This < crosscutting= is more common in a pluralistic society such as the United States. • Moderating influence is weakening. • Partisan conflict has increasingly become a question of identity as well as a question of issues. • Identity politics: the situation in which people base their concerns on group identity (such as race or religion) and align themselves politically with those who share that identity and against those who don’t. • • • The Influence of Public Opinion on Policy • Observers disagree about how much public opinion affects policy, and how much it should affect policy. • Delegate view of political representatives: they should act in response to what constituents say they want. • Trustee view of political representatives: they should take constituents’ concerns into account but exercise judgment about the policies that will best serve their interest. Limits on the Public’s Influence • Several obstacles stand in the way of governing by public opinion. • Contradictions. • Weak understanding of the issues. • Mastery of the issues is not necessary for an opinion to be of value, but weak understanding can make it difficult for policymakers to respond • Leaders’ efforts to influence public opinion can limit its influence. • Described by Noam Ch omsky as < manufactured consent.= • Example: lead-up to the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003. Public Opinion and the Boundaries of Action • Officials normally must operate within the boundary of what the public will accept. • Example: changes to Social Security. • Sweeping changes in public opinion invariably led to lasting and substantial changes in the direction of national policy. • Example: shift to support of the Democratic Party during the Great Depression; shift away from federal power and spending in the 1970s. • Abrupt shifts in opinion on a salient issue can change the boundaries of acceptable action. • Example: shift to anti-free trade policies in response to Donald Trump’s candidacy for the presidency. • Congressional representatives pay close attention to public opinion. • Tend to favor the position that will garner them the most support in their next election. • Example: immigration.