Citizen’s Beliefs and Political Ideology Lecture Notes

Citizen’s Beliefs and Political Ideology 4.1 American Attitudes About Government & Politics Political Culture- the dominant set of beliefs, customs, traditions, and values that define the relationship between citizens and the government. American core political values include individualism__, equality_ of opportunity_, the free___ enterprise__ system, rule of law___ and limited_ government. American Political Culture 1. Individualism- the belief that individuals should be responsible for themselves and for the decisions they make. The fundamental worth and importance of the individual. Enshrined in the Dec of Indep … “they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights” . The Bill of Rights protects individual rights from government. • Manifest Destiny- the movement west encouraged rugged individualism 2. Equality of Opportunity- Dec of Indep …“all men are created equal”. The equal rights of people to pursue life, liberty, and happiness • • Teddy Roosevelt’s Square Deal- “[E]very man will have a fair__ chance to make of himself all that in him lies; to reach the highest point to which his capacities . . . can carry him.” 14th amendment equal protection clause- guarantees that people in similar conditions in every state will be treated equally__ under the law. Civil Rights legislation were all about equal treatment under the law. Americans value equality of opportunity, they do not support equality of result. The United States has not produced economic equality, in which everyone makes roughly the same amount of money or has the same amount of wealth. Rather, Americans value the opportunity to be rewarded for innovation, hard work, education, and determination. 3. Free Enterprise- laissez-faire system-government plays as small_ a role as possible in the economic transactions among citizens and businesses. America has a mixed__ economy, in which many economic decisions are left to individuals_ and businesses_, but the federal and state governments shape those decisions through taxation__, spending_, and regulation__. 4. Rule of Law- the principle that no_ one_, including political_ officials, is above the law. “A government laws__ and not of men__” –James Harrington Federalist 78- role of an independent judiciary in protecting the rule of law. Judicial process based on precedent __, to insure predictability___ Citizens must respect__ the law_ and obey it. This is part of the Social_ Contract. Transparency in government- the Freedom__ of Information_ Act allows citizens to access documents and information kept by the government. 5. Limited Government-authority comes from the consent of the governed and that citizens are “endowed . . . with certain unalienable rights” such as “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness- Dec of Indep Checks and Balances Separation of Powers All contribute to limiting the power of the government Federalism Const./ Bill of Rights How the Interpretations of these values differ between conservatives and liberals 1 Conservatives- cherish established institutions and seek to preserve them for the good of society. Emphasis on smaller__ government, less__ services to the public. They want to conserve__ the good things of gov. Liberals- push for new reforms to make society more just__ and equitavle_. Use government__ to promote the greater good. Conservatives v. Liberals and how they view American Core Values 4.2 American Attitudes About Government and Politics Explain how cultural factors influence political attitudes and socialization. HOW DO WE GET OUR POLITICAL OPINIONS AND VALUES? THROUGH POLITICAL SOCIALIZATION • Def: Process by which an individual acquires his/her political__ orientations—knowledge, attitudes, opinions – occurs at both the individual and community level 2 – • early in life variety of agents contribute to shaping Political socialization is the process by which citizens acquire a sense of p olitical__ identify___. HOW DO WE GET OUR POLITICAL OPINIONS AND VALUES? Influences that shape their political identities and opinions: • Family__ and home_ influences often help shape political party identification. It is strongest when both parents identify with the same__ political party. If mom and dad are Republicans/conservative, chances you will be also and vice versa. • Schools___ teach patriotism, basic governmental functions and structure, and encourage political participation. AP Government classes indoctrinate young minds! That was a joke, ok!!! Student government is your first step into politics. • Government__ affiliations (interest groups, labor unions, professional organizations) provide common__ bonds between people which may be expressed through the group or its activities. • Demographic__ factors (occupation, race, gender, age, religion, region of country (geography__), income, education, ethnicity). • Mass media inform__ the public about issues and help set the political and public agendas__. – Mass Media has been referred to as the “new Parent” • Opinion__ leaders, those individuals held in great respect because of their position, expertise, or personality, may informally and unintentionally exercise influence (think church). • Events may instill positive or negative attitudes. For example, the Watergate scandal created a mistrust of government. Social environments: • religious institutions Fundamentalists__/ evangelicals___ believe in a literal interpretation of the Holy Bible. Evangelicals promote the Christian faith. Both tend to take conservative__ positions i.e., anti-abortion and vote Republican. Catholics_ have traditionally voted with the Democratic__ Party, though their vote is less attached to Democratic (Dems pro___-abortion) candidates today than in earlier years because the demographics of Catholics have become so diverse. Jews__ make up a small part of the national electorate and tend to vote for Democrats___. • civic institutions with extreme political views bring only likeminded people together, while other civic institutions bring together people from a variety of backgrounds and viewpoints and help them learn how to work around their differences. • Geography/ Location: In the Northeast, liberal Democrats dominate, and more liberal policies prevail. The South is more influenced by conservative Christian values. Socialization also influences a worldwide scale. Most of the globalization influence flows from the United States to other countries, through globalization and encouraging immigration. The United States also is exposed to values from other parts of the world. 3 Why is family the strongest agent of political socialization? The family stands to be the strongest agent of socialization in the upbring of a child’s life. Because of this, the child’s ideals become that of the parents, including political ideology. Why do demographics play a role in political socialization? Race, gender, age, and religion are all shaping factors of identity and opinion. Generational influences an Generational As you go throu • Generati political_ • life-cycle Americans are they might stan • Silent G • Baby Bo • Generat • Millenn https://www.vis on that ion upon their political views. mpare where nce-over-society/ 4.4 Influence of Political Events on Ideology Generations Silent Generation and Baby Boomers Events Impact on Political Attitude Great Depression (1929-41) Advancing trust in gov & support for the role of gov in economy- further eroding laissez faire- New Deal – social safety net Majority voted Democratic World War II The war brought the nation together against fascism, creating a sense of united_ purpose and a belief in the reliability__ of the government. 1960s social unrest and political violence Mass protests- Vietnam__ war, Civil__ Rights- were features of time, influenced political socialization. Challenging__ gov became political norm, people empowered to bring about change 5 Generation X (19651980) Cold War, Reagan Revolution, Conservative, mostly Republican. Younger Xers tend to vote Dem Millennials (1981-96) 9/11 Attacks attack on U.S. soil calls for aggressive homeland security and counterterrorism measures. Also, that the event should serve as a wake-up call that the United States should be less involved in the Middle East. 6