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Chapter 6

Chapter 6. Public Opinion. Public Opinion. Public Opinion. Democratic governments should reflect the will of the people. How do we know what the public wants? Where does public opinion originate?

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Chapter 6

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  1. Chapter 6 Public Opinion

  2. Public Opinion

  3. Public Opinion • Democratic governments should reflect the will of the people. • How do we know what the public wants? • Where does public opinion originate? • Average citizens do not always have vast information about issues or elections, yet can form opinions about such matters. • What factors influence public opinion in the presence or absence of relevant information?

  4. Understanding Public Opinion • Public opinion: the values and attitudes that people have about issues, events, and personalities. • Values (or beliefs): a person’s basic orientations to politics. • Political ideology: a cohesive set of beliefs that form a general philosophy about government. • Attitude (or opinion): specific view about a particular issue, personality or event

  5. Fundamental Values Most Americans subscribe to these principles

  6. Political Values • Political socialization: the process through which underlying political beliefs and values are formed. • Our underlying beliefs tend to shape how we approach new information. • Life experiences: family upbringing, social groups, education, and the general political climate shape underlying beliefs.

  7. Influences on Our Political Values • Family: stories we hear growing up are highly influential when narratives are coherent and consistent. • Social groups: people with similar traits or backgrounds have similar life experiences that shape their understanding of the political world.

  8. Influences on Our Political Values

  9. Influences on Our Political Values

  10. National Security Opinion Differences Between Men & Women The Gender Gap: men and women often see issues differently, potentially due to their different life experiences.

  11. Influences on Our Political Values • Religion • Religion can be powerful if it repeats stories, ceremonies, and rituals that tell its members about who they are and how they should see the world.

  12. Influences on Our Political Values • Lifetime social and political context • Peace, wartime, stability or not • Economic prosperity and downturns • Race and gender relations • Recency/distance from immigrant experience

  13. Political Ideologies • Ideology: set of underlying orientations, ideas, beliefs • Liberalism and conservatism are two main political ideologies in the United States today. • Ideology is associated but not synonymous with partisanship. • One may be conservative or liberal no matter what parties happen to exist in a given country or point in time.

  14. Influences on Our Political Values

  15. From Political Values to Ideology

  16. Political Ideologies: Liberalism • Domestic issues • Government involvement in economy to protect workers, expand social services • Advocate for poor minorities, women, consumers, and the environment • Separation of church and state • Foreign affairs • Oppose sending American troops to influence the domestic affairs in other countries • Support for international organizations

  17. Political Ideologies: Conservatism • Domestic issues • Oppose social and economic engineering, such as wealth redistribution and affirmative action • Favor light business/industry regulation, low taxes for higher earners, traditional family structures, and school prayer • Foreign affairs • Support stronger military power and spending • Less supportive of international organizational efforts and entanglements

  18. Profile of a Liberal: Representative Nancy Pelosi

  19. Profile of a Conservative: House Speaker John Boehner

  20. How We Form Political Opinions • Ideology plays a role. • Not all issues are clearly defined ideologically. • Most citizens are especially ideological. • Many issues can be framed in multiple ways. • Or, actually have multiple dimensions that could manifest as liberal and/or conservative.

  21. Americans’ Shifting Ideology,1972–2012

  22. Political Knowledge • Political knowledge • Most Americans have limited political knowledge. • Political knowledge is associated with levels of efficacy and trust in government. • Those with limited political knowledge • May rely on sound bites as facts • Information intimidation: complicated topics • Time cost: do not want or have time to devote to studying issues or contests

  23. Shaping Public Opinion • Three very powerful sources of influence over public opinion: • Political leaders • Private groups • The media

  24. Government and the Shaping of Public Opinion

  25. Shaping Public Opinion • Government • Presidential administrations have enormous capacities to shape public opinion • Stress certain issues and not others • Influence how departments depict issues • Use the “bully pulpit” • Rally around the flag effect • The media, and the public, will turn attention to issues that the administration advances

  26. Shaping Public Opinion • Private groups • Interest groups, churches, community organizations • Very deep and wide reach into society • Deploy specific knowledge effectively • Through press releases, blogs, and other efforts can communicate their messages broadly to reach like-minded individuals easily

  27. The Media and Public Opinion

  28. Shaping Public Opinion • Media • Are very effective at telling Americans what issues are important • Can, at times, frame what it means for a politician to be successful • Can sometimes also shape how people understand the meaning of the conflict

  29. Measuring Public Opinion • Polling • Sample • Probability sampling • Random digit dialing • Selection bias • Sample size • Margin of error

  30. Measuring Public Opinion • Survey design • Measure error • Question wording • Push polling (some surveys intentionally biased) • Salient interests, the illusion of saliency • Bandwagon effect

  31. It Depends on How You Ask

  32. Who Thinks Economic Inequalityis a Problem? CHAPTER 6

  33. By income Percentage who said there are “strong” or “very strong” conflicts between rich and poor < $20,000 64% $20,000–40,000 66% $40,000–75,000 71% > $75,000 67% SOURCE: Pew Research Center, “Rising Share of Americans See Conflict between Rich and Poor,” January 11, 2012, www.pewsocialtrends.org/2012/01/11/rising-share-of-americans-see-conflict-between-rich-and-poor/ (accessed 5/10/12).

  34. By ideology Percentage who said there are “strong” or “very strong” conflicts between rich and poor Conservative 55% 68% Moderate Liberal 79% SOURCE: Pew Research Center, “Rising Share of Americans See Conflict between Rich and Poor,” January 11, 2012, www.pewsocialtrends.org/2012/01/11/rising-share-of-americans-see-conflict-between-rich-and-poor/ (accessed 5/10/12).

  35. By ideology Percentage who said there are “strong” or “very strong” conflicts between rich and poor Republican 55% 68% Independent Democrat 73% SOURCE: Pew Research Center, “Rising Share of Americans See Conflict between Rich and Poor,” January 11, 2012, www.pewsocialtrends.org/2012/01/11/rising-share-of-americans-see-conflict-between-rich-and-poor/ (accessed 5/10/12).

  36. Two Pollsters and Their Records (1948–2012)

  37. Public Opinion and Democracy • Why don’t leaders always follow public opinion? • How strongly do people hold opinions? • The structure of American government • Governing often involves compromise.

  38. Public Opinion and Democracy

  39. Public Opinion Poll Do you agree or disagree that American policy and laws reflect the preferences and opinions of most American people most of the time? a) Strongly agree (does reflect American opinion) b) Agree c) Disagree d) Strongly disagree (doesn’t reflect American opinion)

  40. Public Opinion Poll Do you think people rely primarily on their feelings or specific facts when determining their own personal positions on issues and candidate preferences? • Mostly feelings • Mostly facts

  41. Public Opinion Poll Some political leaders are more concerned with public opinion than others. Some elected officials lean more heavily on their own judgment rather than popular sentiment. Which do you believe is more appropriate in a democracy? • Political leaders should be most concerned with public opinion and govern according to mass policy preferences. b) Political leaders should be less concerned with public opinion and govern based on their judgment.

  42. Public Opinion Poll Which of the following do you think has had the greatest influence on your political values? • Family • Social groups (racial, religious, national) • Education • Political conditions/experiences

  43. Public Opinion Poll Thinking about your two closest friends, would you say your views on political topics are: • Very similar • Some similar some different • Very different

  44. Chapter 6: Public Opinion • Quizzes • Flashcards • Outlines • Exercises wwnorton.com/we-the-people

  45. Following this slide, you will find additional images, figures, and tables from the textbook.

  46. Public Opinion

  47. Public Opinion

  48. Digital Citizens

  49. Political Ideology

  50. Political Ideology

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