Mod 4 - Political Socialization Flashcards
American attitudes about Government
- Equality of opportunity,
- the rule of law,
- limited government
- free enterprise
- Indivdualism
these are core values that most Americans across the ideological spectrum say they believe in. But interpretations of what these values mean can vary wildly, and different citizens place more weight on some values over others. These differences in interpretation and relative importance of values shape citizen beliefs about the role of government, and play a role in determining which party people side with in major elections.
American political culture
The values that influence individuals’ attitudes and beliefs about the relationship between citizens and the federal government.
Equality of opportunity
The belief that each person should have the same opportunities to advance in society.
Free enterprise
The belief in the right to compete freely in a market government by supply and demand with limited government involvement.
Individualism
The principle of valuing individual rights over those of the government, with a strong emphasis on individual initiative and responsibility.
Limited government
A political system in which there are restrictions placed on the government to protect individual rights and liberties.
Rule of law
The principle that government is based on a body of law applied equally and fairly to every citizen, not on the whims of those in charge, and that no one is above the law, including the government.
Ideology
The beliefs and ideas that help to shape political opinion and policy.
Ideas of Individualism (examples)
Desiree interprets individualism to mean that the government should have no interference in the economy or the social habits of American citizens. Meanwhile, Yuki thinks that individualism means the government should not interfere with rights protected under the Bill of Rights, but should absolutely get involved if businesses or states infringe on those rights.
idea of free enterprise,
some people believe it’s the federal government’s responsibility to regulate free markets and guarantee that no business is taking advantage of workers. Others believe the federal government should leave markets and workers to figure things out for themselves, and that regulations harm the economy by limiting productivity and profitability.
Competing ideological differences can also lead to tension in policymaking. (examples)
a proposal for universal, government-sponsored health care is likely to cause tension between the competing values of equality of opportunity (everyone should have the opportunity to be healthy, regardless of their family income) and limited government (the government should not involve itself in citizens’ health; that would give it too much power over their private lives).
tension between the competing values of free enterprise and rule of law?
A bill proposing that large corporations can purchase carbon offsets in order to exceed EPA limits on pollution
This would cause tension between the rule of law (the law applies to everyone equally) and free enterprise (limited government involvement in business).
cause tension between limited government and free enterprise
A sporting goods store implements detailed background checks (in a state that does not require them) for individuals purchasing weapons
This is more likely to cause tension between limited government (limited government interference in individual rights) and free enterprise (the ability of businesses to operate with limited government interference).
cause tension between the values of equality of opportunity and individualism
A congressional mandate requiring schools to offer classes for English language learners in order to receive federal education funding
This is more likely to cause tension between the values of equality of opportunity (everyone should have the opportunity for education, regardless of whether their family speaks English) and individualism (individuals should strive to improve their circumstances without government assistance).
Influences of Demographic characteristics
socioeconomic characteristics of a population, including age, race, gender, religion, marital status, occupation, education level, and more. These characteristics influence how individuals tend to vote and whether they identify with a political party
Globalization
the growth of an interconnected world economy and culture, fueled by lowered trade barriers between nations and advances in communications technology. Globalization has influenced American politics by increasing the extent to which the United States influences, and is influenced by, the values of other countries
Party identification
an individual’s sense of loyalty to a specific political party
Political socialization
the process by which a person develops political values and beliefs, including through interactions with family, friends, school, religious and civic groups, and the media
Influence of demographic factors on party identification: DEMOCRAT
- Women
- Low-income individuals
- Single, divorced or widowed individuals
- Blue-collar workers
- African Americans and Hispanic Americans
- Jews, those unaffiliated with a religion
- Northeasterners, Westerners
- Younger and older Americans
- Union members
- Parents strongly aligned with Democratic Party
Influence of demographic factors on party identification: REPUBLICAN
- Men
- High-income individuals
- Married individuals
- White collar workers, women who work in the home
- Whites
- Protestants, Catholics
- Midwesterners, Southerners
- Middle-aged Americans
- Non-union members
- Parents strongly aligned with Republican Party
Generational effects
experiences shared by a group of people who came of age together (generational cohorts, such as baby boomers or millennials) that affect their political attitudes; wars and economic recessions that hit one generation particularly hard have lasting effects on the political attitudes of that generation as its members progress through life
Lifecycle effects
changes over the course of an individual’s lifetime, which affect their political attitudes and participation; as individuals develop from young people to adults to senior citizens, their concerns and values change; Lifecycle effects describe the changes in one person’s life as they age, marry, have children, buy a home, or retire. The youngest Americans tend to be more liberal but less politically active than older Americans.
Period effects
major events and social trends that affect the political attitudes of the entire population; for example, the terrorist attacks on September 11 and the Watergate scandal had lasting effects on the political attitudes of those who lived through them
Political ideologies shape policy debates and choices
The two major political parties in the United States, the Democratic and Republican Parties, correspond closely with liberal and conservative ideologies, respectively. These ideologies influence policy debates in the United States, which often concern the appropriate amount of government intervention in the economy or in social behavior.
Although there’s a strong correlation between an individual’s ideology and their party choice, many Americans hold a range of opinions on economic and social issues that don’t fit neatly onto a simple “left-right” continuum. For this reason, some political scientists have proposed a political “spectrum” that charts individual beliefs on multiple dimensions.
conservative ideology
conservatives tend to believe that government should be small, operating mainly at the state or local level, favoring minimal government interference in the economy and prefer private sector-based solutions to problems; “social conservatives” believe that government should uphold traditional morality, and therefore should impose restrictions on contraception, abortion, and same-sex marriage—conservatives are said to fall on the “right wing” of the axis of political beliefs, a convention that dates from the place where conservatives sat in assembly during the French Revolution.
Democratic Party
one of the two main political parties in the United States; founded in 1828 by supporters of Andrew Jackson, the Democratic Party is the world’s oldest active political party—although its platform has transformed many times over the years, today the core values of the Democratic Party align with liberal ideology
liberal ideology
the definition of liberalism has changed over time, but modern-day liberals tend to believe that government should intervene in the economy and provide a broad range of social services to ensure well-being and equality across society; Liberals usually believe that the government should not regulate private sexual or social behaviors, and are said to fall on the “left wing” of the axis of political beliefs—a convention that dates from the place where supporters of the revolution sat in assembly during the French Revolution.
progressive ideology
‘progressive’ is used interchangeably with ‘liberal’ by many today; others argue that the two terms are distinct, but this isn’t universally accepted. Those who consider the terms separate may say that liberals believe in protecting previously disadvantaged groups from discrimination, while progressives believe it’s the government’s job to address past wrongs and reform systemic issues that caused those disadvantages in the first place.
Republican Party
one of the two main political parties in the United States; founded in 1854 by anti-slavery activists, the Republican Party’s platform has also transformed over the years to address issues of concern to its constituents; today, the core values of the Republican Party align with conservative ideology
communitarian
communitarians tend to support legislation that emphasizes the needs of communities over the rights of the individual; they are likely to be economically liberal, but socially conservative
Green Party
the fourth largest party in the United States; founded in 2001, the Green Party favors a strong federal government; Green Party candidates often run on a platform of grassroots democracy, nonviolence, social justice, and environmentalism
Libertarian Party, libertarian ideology
the third largest party in the United States; founded in 1971 by people who felt that the Republican and Democratic parties no longer represented the libertarian intentions of the founders; libertarians favor limited government intervention in personal, social, and economic issues
nationalists
nationalists tend to promote the interests of their nation, and often believe in the superiority of their nation over others
Ideology and economic policy
the state of the economy has major effects on the average citizen’s quality of life. How well the economy is doing plays a decisive role when Americans go to the polls, and so politicians and political parties heavily promote their fiscal policies as the best pathway to prosperity for the country and its citizens.
Historical infon on Ideology and economic policy
The idea that the US government and its officials are responsible for the economic health of the country is a relatively new one.
Before the Civil War (1861-1865), the US government played little to no role in managing the nation’s economy.
But the Second Industrial Revolution (1870-1914) and its social effects spurred some of the first government regulations on corporations, which were aimed at limiting monopolistic practices, improving working conditions, and ensuring the purity of food and drugs.
In the 1930s, government intervention into the economy intensified in response to the economic catastrophe of the Great Depression (1929-1939). This ushered in an era of sweeping government spending and regulation, based on the liberal principles of Keynesian economics. Since the 1970s, however, conservatives have pushed back against government spending, arguing that the tax cuts and deregulation favored by supply-side economics will promote prosperity.
Fiscal policy
Government decisions about how to influence the economy by taxing and spending.
Monetary policy
Government decisions about how to influence the economy using control of the money supply and interest rates.
The Federal Reserve
Also called “The Fed.” An independent federal agency that determines US monetary policy with the goal of stabilizing the banking system and promoting economic growth.
Keynesian economics
An economic philosophy that encourages government spending (through the creation of jobs or the distribution of unemployment benefits) in order to promote economic growth.
Supply-side economics
An economic philosophy that encourages tax cuts and deregulation in order to promote economic growth.
What’s the difference between Keynesian economics and supply-side economics?
Keynesian economics prescribes government spending and regulations to improve the economy. Supply-side economics prescribes tax cuts and deregulation to improve the economy. In other words, Keynesian economics suggests that when the economy is doing poorly, the government should intervene more, while supply-side economics suggests that when the economy is doing poorly, the government should intervene less.
What’s the difference between fiscal policy and monetary policy?
Fiscal policy refers to how the government taxes citizens and spends money–in other words, its budget of money coming in and going out. Monetary policy refers to how the government controls the value of money, by tweaking the supply of money and interest rates. Congress controls fiscal policy, but the Federal Reserve (an independent agency) determines monetary policy.
Liberal ideologies
Liberals tend to favor more government intervention in order to promote social and economic equality. For example, liberals endorse minimum wage laws, arguing that without government intervention businesses will take advantage of employees and economic inequality will increase. On the other hand, liberals tend to oppose government intervention into areas of private life, such as laws restricting contraception or same-sex marriage.
Conservative ideologies
Conservatives tend to oppose government intervention in order to promote social and economic equality, arguing that the free market will reward individuals according to their talent and hard work. Conservatives also oppose government restrictions on individual liberties protected in the Bill of Rights, such as the right to bear arms. On the other hand, conservatives tend to favor government intervention to promote traditional morality, such as outlawing abortion and marijuana, and strongly support government spending on the military and national security.
Libertarian ideologies
Libertarians oppose all government intervention in economic and social policy, believing that government exists to protect private property and little else. Libertarians do not believe that government should regulate morality or the free market.
Government intervention
Regulatory actions taken in order to affect decisions made by individuals, groups, or organizations regarding social and economic matters.
Individual liberties
Personal freedoms that the government cannot abridge, particularly those guarantees found in the Bill of Rights.
Right to privacy
The right to be free of government scrutiny into one’s private beliefs and behavior.
Social policy
Public policy related to health care, human services, criminal justice, inequality, education, and labor.
Do the liberals and conservatives feel the same way about the role of government in social policy as they do about the role of government in economic policy?
No! On economic policy, liberals favor more intervention by the government to stimulate and regulate the economy, while conservatives favor less intervention into the marketplace.
Liberal and conservative views on social policy are more complex. Liberals tend to favor government intervention to promote social and economic equality, but oppose intervention into private life. Conservatives tend to oppose government intervention for the purposes of promoting equality, but favor intervention to promote morality and national security.
Common problems with polls
- Improper sampling techniques
- Biased questions
- Small sample size
- Large or unreported sampling error
- Lack of transparency in methods
POLLS: Improper sampling techniques
Samples should be random, otherwise poll results might not accurately represent the target population.
POLLS: Biased questions
It’s tough for questions to be truly unbiased, but questions framed to portray candidates or policies in a positive or negative light strongly affects responses.
POLLS: Small sample size
The smaller the sample size, the larger the margin of error. A survey of ten people is unlikely to turn up results consistent with the preferences of the entire population of the United States. Mass surveys usually have a sample size of at least 1000 individuals.
POLLS: Large or unreported sampling error
The results from a sample won’t exactly represent a population. This is called sampling error, and the likely size of the error is called the margin of error. Researchers should report their poll’s margin of error. If a poll reports that 58% of Americans prefer a candidate, but the margin of error is 10%, researchers should not conclude that the majority of Americans prefer the candidate (since the true percentage could be as little as 48%).
POLLS: Lack of transparency in methods
Reliable polls publish the methods by which researchers collected the data. Without this information, it’s impossible to judge whether the researchers followed scientific procedures.
Political participation
the ways that, and extent to which, voters get involved in the political process—is influenced by a number of factors, including political ideology, efficacy, structural barriers, and demographics. Political scientists also use models of voter behavior to describe different motivations driving candidate choice.
Fifteenth Amendment
Extended suffrage to African American men.
Seventeenth Amendment
Established the popular election of US senators.
Nineteenth Amendment
Extended suffrage to women.
Twenty-fourth Amendment
Declared poll taxes void in federal elections.
Twenty-sixth Amendment
Extended suffrage to people aged 18-20 years old by lowering the voting age from 21 to 18.
Voting Rights Act of 1965
Legislation designed to help end formal and informal barriers to African American suffrage.
National Voter Registration Act of 1993
Also called the “Motor Voter Act.” Makes it easier for voters to register to vote by requiring states to allow citizens to register when applying for or renewing their driver’s license.
Rational choice voting
Voting based on what is perceived to be in the citizen’s individual interest.
