mr. ishmael-ap government. by the end of this lesson, i will be able to… identify what political...

Mr. Ishmael-AP Government

By the end of this lesson, I will be able to Identify what political culture is. Identify what political ideology is. Understand the important elements associated with the political system.

Intro Survival of U.S. Constitution rare Copied in other countries, have had lapses in success Tocqueville-Country flourished b/c soil were fertile in which roots could grow Constitution, plus opportunities for people to control own life, made Democracy possible Also, moral and intellectual characteristics of people and political culture play role as well.

Political Culture v. Political Ideology Political culture: Patterned set of ways of thinking about how political and economic activities ought to be carried out Ex: We believe those who win elections should take office Dont condone political violence Ballots, not bullets Nobody should have claim to political authority simply due to wealth or family history

Political Culture v. Political Ideology Political Ideology: Refers to more or less consistent views concerning policies government ought to pursue Liberal v. Conservative For the most part, people disagree on ideology Could still share similar feelings on political culture Unless so critical of existing govt. policies and practices that they require a fundamental change in way govt. functions

Political System Five important elements in American view of political system: Liberty Equality Democracy Civic Duty Individual Responsibility

Liberty Americans preoccupied with rights Should be free to do as please As long as we dont hurt others

Equality Everyone should have an equal vote, equal chance to participate

Democracy Govt. should be accountable to the people

Civic Duty People ought to take govt. affairs seriously Help out when they can

Individual Responsibility Individuals responsible for their own actions and well-being

A patterned set of ways of thinking about how political and economic activities ought to be carried out 1. Political ideas 2. Political culture 3. Political ideology 4. Political participation 5. Political power

Refers to more or less consistent views concerning policies government ought to pursue 1. Political thought 2. Political culture 3. Political ideology 4. Political participation 5. Political power

Civic duty is an important element of the American political system 1. True 2. False

Government officials being accountable to the people is known as 1. Individual responsibility 2. Liberty 3. Civic duty 4. Democracy 5. Equality

Equality of results is an important part of American politics 1. True 2. False

Americans are willing to tolerate political equality over economic equality 1. True 2. False

Government part of problem, not solution. 1. Liberals 2. Right wing 3. Neoconservatism 4. Conservatism 5. Neoliberalism

We must end welfare 1. Liberals 2. Conservatives 3. Neoconservatism 4. Neoliberals 5. Left wing

We must end welfare as we know it. 1. Liberals 2. Right wing 3. Left wing 4. Religious conservatism 5. Conservatives

The college core curriculum should teach our shared Western culture heritage. 1. Neoconservatives 2. Liberals 3. Conservatives 4. Religious conservativism 5. Left wing

If elected, I will get government off your backs and release the great energy of the American people. 1. Liberals 2. Neoliberals 3. Right wing 4. Left wing 5. Religious conservatism

So long as I am president, no American shall go to bed hungry, no American shall suffer the burden of discrimination, and no American shall fall ill without the benefit of medical help. 1. Conservative 2. Neoliberal 3. Liberal 4. Left wing 5. Right wing

Abortion is the modern equivalent of the Nazi holocaust. 1. Conservatism 2. Neoconservatism 3. Religious conservativism 4. Left wing 5. Right wing

Worker of the world, unite; you have nothing to lose but your chains. 1. Left wing 2. Right wing 3. Liberals 4. Neoliberals 5. Conservatives

At the end of this lesson I will be able to Explain how Americans feel about equality Compare how American political culture compares to the rest of the world

Equality of Opportunity vs. Equality of Results Liberty is important Believe in a free-enterprise system More willing to tolerate economic inequality than political inequality Maintain equality in opportunity Not equality in results If everyone has same opportunities, okay if those with more skill get ahead Help get educated, wont give preferential treatment Liberal groups more willing to give preferential treatment

America and Other Nations Political System Sweden More deferential than participatory Most adults vote, dont participate any other way Defer to decisions made by leaders, rarely challenge Japan Attach greater value to good relationships, having decisions made by groups, preserve social harmony, respect hierarchy Stress: Sensitivity to others Avoid conflict Reach decisions through discussion rather than rules

America and Other Nations (cont.) Study of pol. culture in 5 nations (1960) Americans and GB have greater sense of civic duty One is obligated to participate in civic affairs Stronger sense of civic competence Belief one can affect govt. policies Both more so than Germany, Italy, and Mexico 1995-America lagging Austria, Netherlands, West Germany, and UK in turnout Highly more active in other participation activities

America and Other Nations (cont.) Less trust in govt. here, still have higher confidence in political institutions See that we need a change in policies, not the system Typically bound by Americanism Not common to have this bond around the world Gives us a greater sense of nationalism compared to other nations around the world

People in Sweden generally are highly participatory and assertive in their right to be heard in politics. 1. True 2. False

Swedes would probably be more tolerant than Americans of a governmental attempt to place a top limit on salaries. 1. True 2. False

Swedes are less likely then Americans to challenge governmental decisions. 1. True 2. False

Swedes are less likely to value equality over liberty. 1. True 2. False

Japanese are more likely than Americans to value good relations with colleagues. 1. True 2. False

Japanese are more likely than Americans to emphasize individualism and competition in their political system. 1. True 2. False

In a comparative study, Almond and Verba found that Americans had a stronger sense of civic duty than the citizens in other countries surveyed. 1. True 2. False

Today, confidence remains high in public institutions 1. True 2. False

Compared with other nations, the United States is a relatively non-nationalistic country. 1. True 2. False

Today I will be able to Explain the culture war in America

Culture War The Culture War War over values Usually explosive issues such as: Abortion Gay rights Drug use School prayer Pornography Differs from other political disputes No money at stake Compromises almost impossible Conflict more profound Animated by deep differences in private and public morality

Culture War (cont.) Two opposed camps: Orthodox Morality as important as self-expression Based on unchanging rules of God The Religious Right Progressive Personal freedom as important as tradition Liberal, Immoral Also see battles within groups Do see progressive views in orthodox groups, and vice versa Increase in conflict due to: Increase in progressives Rise of media (easier on larger scale)

The culture war is a war that is close to coming to an end in this country. 1. True 2. False

This side of the culture war believes in morality before personal freedom. 1. Progressive 2. Liberal 3. Conservative 4. Orthodox

This side believes in personal freedom at the cost of morality. 1. Liberal 2. Conservative 3. Orthodox 4. Progressive

School prayer should be advocated. 1. Orthodox 2. Progressive

Recreational drug use is no big deal. 1. Orthodox 2. Progressive

Abortion is equivalent to the Nazi holocaust. 1. Orthodox 2. Progressive

Pornography is disgusting and holds no place in society. 1. Orthodox 2. Progressive

I love Howard Stern and Opie and Anthony!!! 1. Orthodox 2. Progressive

I would rather see gays have the rights to marry over the Kardashians. 1. Orthodox 2. Progressive

Today I will be able to Understand the concept of political efficacy Identify sources of political culture

Political Efficacy What does it mean? A citizens feeling that they believe they have a say in what govt. does Seen a decline in recent decades Two kinds: Internal Ability to understand system and take part Not much change in levels of this type External Believe in the ability of the govt. to respond Sharp drop since 60s

Political Efficacy (cont.) Compared to other nations Higher than Europeans Also more likely to discuss politics, sign petitions, work to solve community problems

This refers to believing in your ability to impact politics. 1. Political Culture 2. Political Ideology 3. Political Beliefs 4. Political Efficacy 5. Political Efficiency

Internal efficacy refers to ones ability to understand politics and take part. 1. True 2. False

External efficacy refers to ones belief that the government will respond to you. 1. True 2. False

Europeans generally report higher levels of political efficacy than do Americans. 1. True 2. False

The percentage of Americans who say they trust their government in Washington to do the right thing has declined since the 50s. 1. True 2. False

Americans sense of external political efficacy has declined over past generations. 1. True 2. False

Sources of Political Culture FAMILY!!! Most important factor Usually first influence in how to view politics Mostly due to increased equality amongst family members

Mass Media Television leading source of political and public affairs Can skew ideas on what is important If it leads, might seem more important

Sources of Political Culture Education Learn early in school about politics More one learns about the process, more influenced one will be about politics

Age Younger=more liberal More progressive as well Typically, ones attitudes are shaped by events that happen in ones life

Of the following, which is the most important influence on political culture? 1. Age 2. Media 3. Friends 4. Family

AP Government

Things That Make You Go Hmmm As a country, we have a government For the people, by the people. If so, how come: Federal government often has a large deficit But people want a balanced budget Courts ordered children to be bused to ensure racial equality in the schools But people opposed busing Equal Rights Amendment was not ratified But polls showed most people supported it House of Reps. voted to impeach Clinton Even though people opposed this Most people believe limits should exist on # of terms Congress people should serve But Congress has not approved limits

Today, I will be able to Understand the framers opinion toward public opinion Understand why there is a gap between opinion and policy Understand the problems with assessing public opinion

I believe public opinion polls are very important tools used to shape public policy. 1. Strongly Agree 2. Agree 3. Neutral 4. Disagree 5. Strongly Disagree

The Founders Several reasons why opinion at odds with policy: 1. Constitution written in order to achieve goals Not always do what people want Also felt would not be a dominant public opinion Would be many publics Existence of many would prevent one from dominating Help protect liberties

The Founders Several reasons why opinion at odds with policy: 2. Not easy to tell what public thinks Most issues that are polled are not necessarily issues govt. must act on 3. More knowledge and activity one has, more weight opinion will carry in govt. circles Most political elites know more and think differently about politics Govt. attends more to elite views, not popular views

Problems with assessing public opinion How a pollster words questions can dramatically affect answers they get Altering order of words in questions can drastically alter opinions Most polls ask voters to think about benefits, not costs Most opinions are not stable Change from time to time Public opinion suffers from: Ignorance Instability Sensitivity to way questions are worded

Today I will be able to 1. Discuss the origins of political attitude/factors that affect peoples political attitude. 2. Understand the concept of cleavages in public opinion.

Factors that affect public opinion Most important: FAMILY!!! Usually a result of political party identification Study of high school seniors shows: 91% knew accurately parents presidential preference 71% knew accurately parents party identification Only 9% opposed parents party preference Even as we grow older and grow apart from parents, party identification can stay the same

Factors that affect public opinion (Cont.) Religion Two theories as to why religion plays a role Social Status Religious groups come together due to past discrimination I.E. Catholics and Jews They would align closer to parties sympathetic to their plight (Democratic) Religious Tradition Moral teachings of religious institutions affects opinions on issues Regardless, religious differences make for political differences

Factors that affect public opinion (cont.) Gender Gap Difference in political views between men and women Overall trend of opinion since 60s: Men=more conservative Women=more liberal Have different attitudes about following issues: Size of govt. Gun control Spending programs aimed towards poor Gay rights

Gender Gaps on Issue Importance (2006)

Factors that affect public opinion (cont.) Schooling and Information 1920-1960s: record number of those attending college Research shows this impacted political attitudes schooling = voting and political activity Studies also show attending college makes people more liberal Why? People already possess those feelings once entering college College exposes one to more information about politics Possible that colleges teach liberalism

Cleavages in Public Opinion Top cleavages Social class Unskilled workers=more democrat than white collar workers Has changed slightly though For one, more go to college, learn a little more about liberalism Still, most division exists here due to economic issues Social issues arent affected as much by class

Cleavages in Public Opinion Top cleavages Race and ethnicity (Chart 5.4) Afro-Americans: More Democratic Whites: more Republican Still, gap closing between whites and blacks (Chart 5.5) Also see differences w/in racial groups Ex. Asian-Americans Japanese-Americans: more conservative Korean-Americans: more liberal

Cleavages in Public Opinion Top Cleavages Region Southerners and northerners disagree on many policy issues South: Less liberal on social issues Busing, legalizing marijuana, etc. Similar beliefs on economy More accommodating to business enterprise, less to organized labor Becoming more conservative However, presidential candidates still need the South if they hope to win elections

Public opinion is invariably consistent with public policy. 1. True 2. False

Early studies of public opinion found voters were generally informed about issues and governmental processes. 1. True 2. False

Most young people accept their parents party identification. 1. True 2. False

The ability of family to inculcate a strong sense of party identification has declined in recent years. 1. True 2. False

Religious influences appear to be stronger on economic issues, weaker on social issues. 1. True 2. False

The gender gap has existed in this country for years. 1. True 2. False

Men more closely identify with Democratic beliefs. 1. True 2. False

The extent to which class differences impact voting has declined in recent years. 1. True 2. False

The more education you receive, the more conservative you become. 1. True 2. False

African-Americans are more likely to believe the justice system is biased against them. 1. True 2. False

Southerners are generally more conservative than people from other parts of the nation. 1. True 2. False

Political Ideology More or less a consistent set of beliefs about what policies govt. ought to pursue Conservative vs. Liberal Two ways to measure: See how often one uses broad terms (conservative, liberal, etc.) to describe their beliefs Seeing to what extent policy preferences are consistent over time Popularity: Moderates: 1 st Conservatives: 2 nd Liberals: 3rd

Consistent Attitudes Ideology hard to identify Due to inconsistency of attitudes Dont know correct meaning of labels I.E. liberal conservative etc. Dont have to be conservative, liberal, in order to have an ideology Due to common feelings of equality, freedom, and Americanism

Liberalism v. Conservatism Terms not meaningless Have changed over time Liberal: used to favor personal and economic liberty Conservative: discouraged by ideals of French Revolution Changed w/ New Deal, when FDR referred to programs as liberal Opponents eventually known as conservatives

Today, I will be able to Differentiate between the four ways one can identify their political ideology. Understand elites and how they influence opinion. Understand the concept of the New Class. Explain how elites influence opinion.

Four Combinations Pure Liberal: Economic Issues Regulate business Tax rich heavily Cure economic causes of crime Social Issues Allow abortion Protect rights of the accused Guarantee broadest possible freedoms of speech and press

Four Combinations (cont.) Pure Conservatives: Economic Issues: Govt. should cut back on welfare state Market allocate goods and services Keep taxes low Social Issues: Lock up criminals Curb forms of conduct they regard as antisocial

Four Combinations (cont.) Libertarians: Conservative on economic matters, liberal on social Prefer small weak govt. Has little control over economy or personal lives of citizens Traits: More likely to be: Young College-educated White Higher incomes No religion Live in west

Populists: Liberal on economic matters, conservative on social matters Prefer govt. that reduces economic inequality, control business Want to regulate personal conduct, lock up criminals, permit school prayer Traits: Older Poorly educated Low-income Religious Female Live in South or Midwest

Today, I will be able to Discuss why people mistrust govt. Explain why elites shape policy

Why do you believe people mistrust government? 1. Out of touch with people 2. Bad policies 3. Personal conduct 4. There for their own good 5. Simply lazy

Mistrust of Government Since 50s, steady decline in trust of govt. 1950s-75% trust govt. 1980s-25% Why? 60s-Unhappy with Vietnam 70s Nixons resignation/Watergate Jimmy Carter 90s Impeachment of Clinton!!!

Mistrust of govt. (cont.) Trends Confidence in public institutions typically has not changed Congress, press rather little support Churches and Supreme Court high Military is the highest Overall, higher confidence in overall system, lower confidence in institutions

Elites do not have a disproportionate impact on policy 1. True 2. False

Political Elites Those who have a disproportionate amount of a desired resource Tend to more ideologically consistent Usually due to increased activism Why more consistent? 1. Information Better informed on politics, more likely to have view 2. Peers More active in politics, more likely to associate with people who agree with you More time you spend with them, your views could shift

Ways elites affect opinion 1. Raise and frame political issues Opinion-policy congruence falling Reflects greater elite influence 2. State norms by which issues should be settled Norm: standard of right or proper conduct They help determine what is acceptable and unacceptable

Political Participation

Today, I will be able to Describe why Americans voter turnout rates appear so low Identify the two ways to measure voter turnout Identify steps taken to increase voter turnout

Intro Americans often embarrassed by low rate of participation Where 80% or higher vote in Europe, only about of the people vote in presidential elections Even less in congressional elections Many blame low turnout on apathy, urge govt. to mount campaigns to get out the vote

Closer Look at Nonvoting Are Americans apathetic? Depends on how turnout is measured Two ways: Voting-age population Those who meet age requirements to vote Registered voters Those who vote who are registered In U.S., those who are registered vote Biggest issue-those who are not registered

Source: Updated from Michael P. McDonald and Samuel L. Popkin, The Myth of the Vanishing Voter, American Political Science Review 95 (December 2001): Source: Updated from Michael P. McDonald and Samuel L. Popkin, The Myth of the Vanishing Voter, American Political Science Review 95 (December 2001): table 1, 966. Reprinted with permission of Cambridge University Press; Michael P. McDonald, 2008 General Election Turnout Rates, updated April 26, 2009, at table 1, 966. Reprinted with permission of Cambridge University Press; Michael P. McDonald, 2008 General Election Turnout Rates, updated April 26, 2009, at http://elections.gmu.edu, accessed May 8, 2009. http://elections.gmu.edu, accessed May 8, 2009.

Solution to VAP? Look at voting eligible population (VEP) Those actually eligible to vote Using this, turnout has not fallen since 1970 What if everyone participated? Poor and minorities overrepresented in party of nonvoters Large rise in Democratic electorate? Would have seen a wider margin for Clinton in 92 & 96

How do we fix low turnout? Potential cures Door to door, leaflets, direct mail, phone banks, email little or no effect Must reach those who are not registered Most non-registered: Dont care about politics Uneducated about how to register Inconvenient (takes time) Re-register if move Europe, registration taken care of for you by govt.

Fixes (cont.) 1993-Congress passes motor- voter law Allows people to register to vote when applying for drivers license Provide info on registration at state offices that serve disabled and provide public assistance 2 months after passage: 630,000 new voters registered in 27 states

Impact of motor-voter law Results mixed Positives Registration did rise among voting-age population to 70.1% in 1998 17.4 million registrations filed in 1999-2000 at motor vehicle offices Negatives Saw record low turnout in 98 primaries (17.6%) and congressional elections (36.1%) 2001 study-turnout of motor voter registrants lower than that of other new registrants

Final Thoughts Voting only one way to participate Many Americans involved in other ways Makes us more politically active than Europe Low turnout could suggest Americans satisfied with govt.

Today, I will be able to Discuss how previously disenfranchised groups received the right to vote

The nature of the American electorate has not changed much since 1790. 1. True 2. False

Rise of the American Electorate Nature of voting has changed greatly 1790-only male property owners could vote By Andrew Jackson (1829-1837)-most males eligible By 1880-only 14% of males could not vote Key legislation: 15 th Amendment-African Americans 19 th Amendment-women 26 th Amendment-18 year olds

African-American Suffrage 15 th Amendment-says one cannot be denied right to vote based on race Would assume gave blacks right to vote 1870-SC held 15 th did not necessarily give blacks right to vote Denial could not be based on race Led to tactics to keep blacks from polls

Of the following, these were designed to keep African Americans away from the polls. 1. Poll tax 2. Literacy tests 3. White primaries 4. Grandfather clause 5. All of the above

African-American Suffrage (cont.) Left open state strategies to bar blacks from voting, including: Literacy tests (most former slaves illiterate) Poll tax (most poor)-until 1915 White primaries-ended in 1944 Grandfather clause: Allowing whites who were illiterate or poor to vote if ancestors voted before 1867

No woman was allowed to vote before the passage of the 19 th Amendment 1. True 2. False

Women Suffrage Kept from polls by law 1915-several states (mostly west) allow women to vote 1920-19 th Amendment passed Doubles electorate

The passage of the 26 th amendment has not had a great impact on turnout for 18 year olds. 1. True 2. False

Youth Suffrage 18 year olds initially earn right to vote through Voting Rights Act SC declared unconstitutional Had to pass 26 th Amendment Did not have much of a political impact on first election they were eligible for 42% of newly eligible voters came out Steadily fallen since then Dont vote as much, but participate more in other ways

Today, I will be able to Describe voter turnout and the impact of voting safeguards Explain why voter turnout numbers may not be as low as we think

Voter Turnout Eligibility extended to more people Federal guidelines: 18 or older No literacy test or poll tax States may not require residency of 30 days Non-English speakers receive ballot in own language However, by law: Federal vote registrars and poll watchers may be sent into areas where less than 50% of voting-age population participates in presidential election 23 rd Amendment: residents of D.C. given right to vote

Given new safeguards and registration procedures, voter turnout has increased, since more people feel the system 1. True 2. False

Voter Turnout (cont.) Would expect increase in turnout given safeguards Declined since latter part of 19 th century Late 1800s-as high as 75% Since 1900-not one higher than 70%

Voter Turnout (cont.) Decline could be result of less voter fraud Political machines used floaters or repeat voters Also held elections in open forums Led to use of Australian ballot Govt. printed Cast in secret

Stricter voter registration has made it more difficult for honest voters. 1. True 2. False

Unintended Consequences of Safeguards Have reduced fraudulent voting Have reduced voting in general Made it more difficult for honest voters Pres. elections b/t 1960 and 1980 Decline in turnout by 10% 1996: lowest since 1924 (49%)

Florida Since 2000

One problem with the VAP is that it does not take into account those that are not eligible to vote. 1. True 2. False

Has Turnout Really been Declining? Turnout usually refers to % of voting age population (VAP) that actually votes How do we get those numbers? Census reports of those 18 or over Problem? Not very accurate. Why? Does not take into account those who are aliens, prisoners, felons, etc.

Using VEP, the overall trend of voter turnout has been a negative one since 1970. 1. True 2. False

Objective 1. Explain the reasons as to why people do or do not participate in democracy.

Voting is the most common form of participation, but not the only form. 1. True 2. False

Who Participates Forms of Participation Voting most common Least common: Donating money Member of political organization Participation sometimes exaggerated Verba and Nie: 8-10% of Americans misreport voting habits More likely young, low-income, less educated, and non-white who misreport

Who Participates (cont.) Verba and Nie: 6 forms of participation: Inactives: 1/5 (22%), completely inactive Typically lower income, education Activists: 1/9 (11%) Highly educated, high incomes, middle-aged Voting specialists: vote, but do little else Less educated, older, poorer than avg. person Campaigners: vote, also involved in campaign activities (also better educated than avg. voter) Clearly identify w/ political party Communalists: organize and join organizations to deal w/ local problems Not as partisan as campaigners Parochial participants: do not vote, stay out of campaigns, but willing to contact local officials

Survey figures tend to exaggerate actual participation rates. 1. True 2. False

Inactives tend to be of lower economic status and education. 1. True 2. False

Voting specialists vote on top of regularly contributing money to candidates. 1. True 2. False

Campaigners vote but also participate in other activities. 1. True 2. False

Communalists, like campaigners, enjoy the tension of political campaigns. 1. True 2. False

Parochial participants will often contact officials about problems. 1. True 2. False

Women participate more in politics more than men. 1. True 2. False

Cause of Participation Higher participation among: College educated Older than 35 Higher income Whites Class makes a difference, though Blacks of same class participate more Religiously involved Men more than women? Actually about the same

Peoples lack of trust in government fuel voter apathy. 1. True 2. False

Cause of Participation Level of trust in officials? No correlation b/t level of trust and voter apathy Lack of turnout due to lack of registered voters Few small factors that deter turnout: Growing number of youth, less turnout Political parties not as effective at mobilizing voters Some states still have hard registration requirements Non-voting is costless People dont feel elections matter much

We vote more officials into office than any European country. 1. True 2. False

Meaning of Participation Rates Voting here different than other countries Vote more officials into office Effect: Conduct of elected officials changes European citizens vote once every four or five years Potential penalties for non-voting as well

mr. ishmael-ap government. by the end of this lesson, i will be able to… identify what political...

Documents

political equality

political power slide

political participation

political authority

political ideas

political thought

equality slide

american political system