Chapter 6: Public Opinion Flashcards
political socialization
the process by which an individual’s political opinions are shaped by other people and surrounding culture
most important agent of socialization
family
how groups affect opinions
- people learn about politics from people around them
- individuals often rely on others who look like them as a source of opinions
- candidates often formulate strategies based on group membership
public opinion matters for 3 reasons:
- citizen’s political actions are driven by their opinions
- examining public opinion helps explain the behavior of candidates, political parties, and other political factors
- public opinion is key to understanding what motivates citizens and political officials
No opinion survey data…
- survey date revealed inconsistencies; liberal vs. conservative and varied responses
- few respondents could day why they liked a particular candidate or why they identified as their said ideology
heuristics
- cognitive shortcuts that help one make “correct” decisions
- voters may refry on a candidate’s party identification to infer his/her position on an issue
macro polity
random votes cancel each other out, so real opinion carries the outcome
-p is not constant
condorcet’s jury
how many jurors do we need to ensure they make right decisions? (p=probability of voter making correct decision)
- p>1/2 adding more jurors increases probability
- p
policy mood
level of public support for expanding the gov’s role in society; whether the public wants gov action of a specific issue
sampling error
increasing the # of respondents lowers the sampling error (need around 1,500)
question problems
wording, response alternatives, and location of the question
latent opinion
an opinion formed on the spot, when it is needed
four contributing factors to culture war:
confusing closely divided w/ deeply divided
political activists are not normal people
the media
confusing positions w/ choices
