Chapter 6 Flashcards
define political socialization
the process by which individuals acquire their political values and outlooks
list the 6 ways that political socialization can occur
- parents and friends
- education
- gender
- race
- religion
- life events
how do parents and friends influence political socialization?
many people absorb the political attitudes of their parents and caregivers
how does education influence political socialization?
many of us were influenced by our teachers, and most graduate degree holding professors identify as liberal
how does gender influence political socialization?
men are more likely to vote republican
how does race influence political socialization?
each race has core issues and demographics that encourage them to vote one way or another; African Americans are more likely to vote democratic, Hispanics are split between Democrat and Republican based on issues, and white americans lean republican
how does religion influence political socialization?
white evangelicals vote republican, catholic voters are split, black protestants, latino catholics, jews, and muslims all lean democratic
how do life events influence political socialization?
major events shape our outlooks; the Great Depression, Pearl Harbor, the MLK assassination, 9/11, all influenced young voters whose opinions were just forming
what is the strongest predictor of individual opinions?
party preference
what fiscal trait do some experts believe predicts voting habits?
self-interest, voting with our pocketbooks
people with more money will vote for lower taxes, while people with less money will vote for expanded social programs
what are political elites?
individuals who control significant wealth, status, power, or visibility, and who consequently have significant influence over public debates
how do political elites influence public opinion?
people look up to them and embrace signals from the elites who align with their own views
how do war and other major events influence public opinion and voters?
people pull together during crisis, but the spike in public opinion often doesn’t last long
how is public opinion measured?
polls
how do you choose who to poll?
random sample
what is a random sample?
a sample in which everyone in the population has an equal probability of being selected
what is a sampling frame?
a designated group of people from whom a set of poll respondents is randomly selected
what does a good representative survey include?
demographic groups in rough proportions to their presence in the population
what is a demographic group?
people sharing specific factors like age, ethnicity/race, religion, or country of origin
who should you choose to poll to get a more accurate outcome?
likely voters
who are likely voters?
people identified as probable voters in an upcoming election. often preferred by polling organizations, but difficult to specify with great accuracy
what are framing effects?
the way the wording of a polling question influences a respondent
what is a push poll?
a form of negative campaigning that masquerades as a regular opinion survey, and usually features unflattering information about an opponent
why is timing important to consider when conducting a survey
if done during the day, people who work won’t be able to participate; or if done on a Friday night, younger residents probably won’t be home to answer; both of which will skew results
why is the wording of poll questions so important?
framing effects; how a question is worded can also affect the response
how do push polls frame the questions they ask?
to influence a negative answer about the opponent
what are benchmark polls?
polls conducted by a campaign as the race begins to provide a basis for comparison throughout the race so candidates can tell if they are likely to win or not
what are straw polls?
informal polls carried out by local party organizations or news outlets; involve actual (nonbinding) votes by party members and are reported during presidential primaries
what is the major problem with conducting polls by phone?
47% of all phone users rely on mobile phones rather than landlines
what needs to be considered after a poll is conducted before the results are shared?
the margin of sampling error of the poll
what is the margin of sampling error?
the degree of inaccuracy in any poll, arising from the fact that surveys involve a SAMPLE of respondents from a population, rather than every member
what are brushfire polls?
internal surveys conducted by a campaign once election season begins; provide details about how a candidate is performing; if performing poorly, the campaign can work to put out the “brushfire” opposition
what are exit polls?
performed on Election Day, both by campaigns and news organizations; intercept voters as they exit the voting location. media reporters rely on these to call results, even if ballots are not confirmed
what is response bias?
the tendency of poll respondents to misstate their views, frequently to avoid “shameful” opinions that might appear sexist or racist
what is the bandwagon effect?
when people join a cause because it seems popular to support a candidate who is leading in the polls
how can polls affects undecided voters?
the bandwagon effect can influence them to support the leading candidate
what is the boomerang effect?
the discrepancy between candidates’ high poll ratings and an election’s performance, caused by supporters’ assumption that an easy win means they don’t have to turn out to vote
what are the 5 things to consider when reading polls?
- margin of error
- poll timing
- random sample is gold standard
- sample size
- compare across polls
what are the 2 views on public opinion in a democracy?
ignorant masses and rational public
what does the research show to support the ignorant masses theory?
most people do not function as rational actors who seek and analyze information, weigh that info, and then choose their candidate, but instead rationalize preconceived biases and react to unconscious cues
what are nonattitudes?
the lack of a stable perspective in response to opinion surveys
what supports the rational public theory?
when measured in large groups, public opinion moves in coherent, stable ways that signal shared views about policy issues
what are information shortcuts?
cues about candidates and policies drawn from everyday life
what is groupthink?
the tendency of a small group of decision makers to converge on a shared set of views; can limit thinking or solutions to policy problems
what 3 conditions must be met in order for public opinion to guide government?
- the people know what they want and guide government decisions
- the public can clearly communicate its desires to political leaders
- political leaders pay attention to public views and respond
what is survey research?
systematic study of a defined population, analyzing a representative sample’s views to draw influences about the larger public’s views; also called “opinion poll”
what is a mandate?
political authority claimed by an election winner as reflecting the approval of the people
what is approval rating?
a measure of public support for a political figure or institution
what is a policy agenda?
the issues that the media covers, the public considers important, and politicians address; setting the agenda is the first step in political action
how do people communicate their desires to elected officials?
survey research and election winner mandate
how to leaders respond to public opinion?
measured in approval rating, and using polls to shape policy agenda
how is the ignorant masses and rational public theory combined in democracy?
wisdom of crowds
what are the 3 broad categories political participation?
- traditional participation
- civic volunteerism
- direct action
what is traditional participation?
getting involved in politics through formal government channels- organized by federal and state constitutions and developed over time
list 4 examples of traditional participation?
- voting
- working for a candidate
- signing petitions
- writing letters to the newspaper
what 2 steps are involved in voting?
- register to vote
2. cast your vote
list 4 electoral activities of traditional participation
- volunteer to get out the vote for favorite candidates
- go to meetings and rallies
- post lawn signs and bumper stickers
- donate money
where does contacting your elected official fall in the categories of political participation?
traditional participation
what is civic volunteerism?
citizen participation in public life without government incentives or coercion
give 3 examples of civic volunteerism
- citizens getting together to build a local playground
- serving in a food bank
- helping raise money for high school basketball uniforms
what is direct action?
participating outside of normal political and social channels through civil disobedience, demonstrations, and even riots
what is civil disobedience?
protesting laws one considers unjust by refusing to obey them- and accepting the punishment
what is political voice?
exercising one’s public rights, often through speaking out in protest or in favor of some policy change
what are the 6 reasons why people get involved in politics?
- age
- wealth
- education
- race
- friends and family
- community
what age group votes the most?
older people
what wealth range is more involved in politics?
the wealthy
How does education predict political involvement?
The more educated you are, the more likely you are to get involved
How does race affect political involvement?
Some factors can cause members of one race to turn out in higher numbers, like the election of Obama
How do friends and family influence one political involvement?
If your friends and family vote, you probably will too
How does community influence political involvement?
Some communities have higher involvement rates since people are more trusting and willing to get involved, and those communities often have higher voting rates
What is social capital?
The spirit of being high on volunteerism and public participation
What is political mobilization?
Efforts to encourage people to engage in the public sphere
What is issue advocacy?
Organized effort to advance (or block) a proposed public policy change
What is a powerful source of political mobilization?
Political parties
Who is mobilizer in chief when it comes to issue advocacy?
Interest groups
What is a surprising factor in encouraging political participation?
Government beneficiaries, if you receive government benefits you are more likely to participate to keep that benefit
What is the larger influence on political mobilization?
Historical context
what is voter turnout?
a measure of what proportion of eligible voters or voting age voters cast a ballot in a given election
what is the paradox of voting?
for most individuals, the cost of voting outweighs the apparent benefits; given this analysis, economic theory would predict very low voter turnout
what are the 4 reasons why voter turnout is low in the US?
- elections are held on Tuesdays, which is a work day for most people
- the US holds frequent elections: local, state, national
- the US holds primary elections, which are staggered and not on a consistent day in each state
- registering to vote can be burdensome and complicated, some states even try to discourage voters
what are the 4 reasons why people DON’T participate in political life?
- alienation- of historically excluded groups
- barriers to participation- institutional and racist
- complacency- satisfied with current climate
- shifting mobilization patterns- different groups care at different times
what is clicktivism?
democratic engagement online
what are the 2 views on how technology is changing the political climate?
- it will reboot democracy by enabling more people to get involved
- there will be too much going on online for anyone to shine through and get things done
what is din?
the shorthand for the volume of information and noise generated by online sources, can be a disincentive to participate politically
what is pluralism?
a pattern of group mobilization in which special interests organize freely in an unregulated fashion and group formation is easy
what are social movements?
organized, sustained, and collective efforts that make claims on behalf of members of a group
what are 4 characteristics of social movements?
- they have broad appeal
- they are an informal organization/patchwork
- concentrate their activities to the sphere of social work
- often lack institutional and organizational resources
give an example of a social movement
MeToo movement
what is the dilemma of formalization?
whether and to what extent a social movement should institutionalize, enter formal politics, or become more like an interest group or political party
