AP GOVERNMENT

1. CHAPTER 6: PUBLIC OPINION AND POLITICAL ACTION AP GOVERNMENT

2. America was founded on the principle of tolerating diversity and individualism, and it remains one of the most diverse countries in the world today.

3. Most Americans view this diversity as one of the most appealing aspects of their society

4. The study of American public opinion aims to understand the distribution of the population’s belief about politics and policy issues.

5. Because there are many groups with a great variety of opinions in the United States, this is an especially complex task.

6. That is not to say that public opinion would be easy to study even if America were a homogeneous society; measuring public opinion involves painstaking interviewing procedures and careful wording of questions.

7. Further complicating the task is the fact that the people are often not well informed about the issues.

8. The least informed are also the least likely to participate in the political process, a phenomenon that creates imbalances in who takes part in political action.

9. For American government to work efficiently and effectively, the diversity of the American public and its opinions must be faithfully channeled through the political process.

10. THE AMERICAN PEOPLE • One way of looking at the American public is through demography-the science of human populations.

11. The most valuable tool for understanding demographic changes in America is the census.

12. The U.S. Constitution requires that the government conduct an “actual enumeration” of the population every ten years. The first census was conducted in 1790.

13. The Census Bureau tries to conduct the most accurate count of the population humanly feasible.

14. After the 1990 Census, it was found that minority groups were disproportionately undercounted. As they were suspicious of government and less willing to cooperate with census workers.

15. In order to correct for such an undercount in 2000, the Clinton Administration approved a plan to scientifically estimate the census count.

16. THE IMMIGRANT SOCIETY • The United States has always been a nation of immigrants.

17. Today, federal law allows up to 800,000 new immigrants to be legally admitted to the country every year.

18. There have been 3 great waves of immigration to the U.S.: • Late 19th century = Northwestern Europeans • Late 19th and early 20th Centuries: Southern and Eastern Europeans • In recent decades = Hispanics

19. Immigrants bring with them their aspirations, as well as their own political beliefs.

20. Throughout American history, such groups have fostered a great appreciation for individualism in American public policy by their wish to be free of government control.

21. The American Melting Pot • With its long history of immigration, the United States has often been called a melting pot. This phrase refers to a mixture of cultures, ideas, and peoples.

22. As the third wave of immigration continues, policymakers have begun to speak of a minority majority, meaning that America will eventually cease to have a White, generally Anglo-Saxon majority.

23. The 2000 Census data found an all-time low in the percentage of non-Hispanic White Americans-just over 69% of the population.

24. African-Americans made up 10-12% of the population, Hispanics13%, Asians4%, and Native Americans slightly less than 1%.

25. Until recently, the largest minority group in the country has been the African-American population.

26. About 22% of African-Americans live below the poverty line, compared to about 9% of Whites.

27. Despite this disadvantage, African-Americans have recently been exercising a good deal of power.

28. The familiar problems of African-Americans sometimes obscure the problems of other minority groups such as Hispanics.

29. An issue of particular concern to the Hispanic community is what to do about the problem of illegal immigration.

30. The Simpson-Mazzoli Act, named after its congressional sponsors, requires that employers document the citizenship of their employees.

31. Civil and criminal penalties can be assessed against employers who knowingly employ undocumented immigrants.

32. This law has raised concern among leaders of immigrant groups, who worry that employers may simply decline to hire members of such groups rather than take any chances.

33. Many believe that the provisions of the Simpson-Mazzoli Act have proved to be inadequate in stopping illegal immigration from Mexico.

34. One proposed solution has been very controversial in recent years involves denying all benefits from government programs to people who cannot prove that they are legal residents of the United States.

35. Unlike Hispanics who have come to America to escape poverty, the recent influx of Asians has been driven by a new class of professional workers looking for greater opportunity.

36. Asian Americans have often been called the super achievers of the minority majority

37. Whereas Asian Americans are the best off of America’s minority groups, by far the worst off is the one indigenous minority, known today as Native Americans.

38. Americans live in an increasingly multicultural and multilingual society.

39. Yet, regardless of ethnic background most Americans share a common political culture-an overall set of values widely shared within a society.

40. The emergence of the minority majority is just one of several major demographic changes that have altered the face of American politics.

41. The Regional Shift • For most of American history, the most populous states were concentrated in the states north of the Mason-Dixon line and east of the Mississippi River.

42. Over the last 60 years, much of America’s population growth has been centered in the West and South.

43. Demographic changes are associated with political changes. States gain or lose representation as their population changes, and thus power shifts as well.

44. This reapportionment process occurs once a decade, after every census.

45. After each census, the 435 seats in the House of Representatives are reallocated to the states on the basis of population changes.

46. Thus, as California has grown throughout this century, its representation in the House has increased from just 7 in 1900 to 53 as of 2002.

47. New York, on the other hand, has lost about one-third of its delegation over the last 50 years.

48. The Graying of America • Florida, one of the three megastates, has grown in large part as a result of its attractiveness to senior citizens.

49. Nationwide, the fastest growing age group in America is composed of citizens over 65.

50. Not only are people living longer as a result of medical advances, but the birthrate has dropped substantially.