Political Ideologies and American Culture

• Political ideology represents a consistent set of values and beliefs regarding the purpose and scope of government.

3 Kinds of Political Ideologies

• Conservatives favor traditional American values, respect for authority, law and order, and national defense.
• Liberals favor an active government role in regulating the economy and promoting equality.
• Libertarians favor a very limited government and promote individual freedom that should only be limited when it impedes on another person's rights.

American Political Culture

• American political culture defines how Americans think about politics and government
• It consists of shared core values
• Five core values include: individualism, equality of opportunity, free enterprise, rule of law, and limited government.

Individualism

• Individualism emphasizes personal responsibility.
• Individuals should take responsibility for themselves and the decisions they make.

Equality of Opportunity

• All people should have equal opportunities, but not equal outcomes.

Free Enterprise

• A market-based economy allows people to choose what to buy, sell, and produce with some regulation.

Rule of Law

• All people are subject to the law.

Political Socialization

• Political socialization represents the process by which people acquire their political beliefs and ideology.
• Family is the main source.
• School, peers, and social environments also contribute.

Globalization

• Globalization has both influenced U.S. culture and been influenced by it.
• Globalization spreads American culture and values throughout the world.
• It has increased immigration and diversity in the U.S.

Lifecycle Effects

• Lifecycle effects are the variety of physical, social, and psychological changes people go through as they age.
• People tend to focus on different issues at different points in life.

Generational Effects

• Generational effects cause different voting patterns and political beliefs for people in different generations.
• Millennials are much more liberal than previous generations.

Major Political Events

• Major political events can influence political attitudes for life and are another source of political socialization.
• The impressionable-age hypothesis suggests most people forge their political attitudes between the ages of 14-24.
• Significant events include the Great Depression, World War II, the 1960s Civil Rights Era, the Counterculture, 9/11, the War on Terror, and the Great Recession.

Measuring Public Opinion & Evaluating Polling Data

• Public opinion polls are surveys with samples of citizens that are used to estimate the beliefs and feelings of an entire population.

Tracking Polls

• Tracking polls are continuous polls used to chart a candidate's daily rise or drop in support.
• They track results of the same question over time.
• A common example is the question: "Do you approve of what the president is doing?"

Benchmark Polls

• Benchmark polls are generally the first poll taken by a campaign, often before the candidate announces candidacy.
• They are used to find out where a candidate stands before any campaigning, what their strengths and weaknesses are, and what type of voters to focus on.

Entrance and Exit Polls

• Entrance and exit polls are conducted as voters arrive at or leave polling places on election day.
• They are used to predict the election outcome, to gain insight into voter behavior, and to analyze how various demographic groups voted.

Focus Groups

• Focus groups are small groups of citizens, typically 10-40 people, gathered to discuss issues or candidates.
• Focus groups are less scientific than polls, but they allow for deeper insight into a topic.
• For example, focus groups revealed that people liked Mitt Romney better when he wore jeans than when he wore a suit and tie.

Four Factors Affecting Results

• The four factors affecting results include: respondents' knowledge of topic, wording of questions, questions that only focus on benefits, and unstable opinions.
• Responses to questions about topics a person doesn't know about aren't reliable.
• Wording should be neutral or unbiased.
• Opinions are not stable and change over time.

Conducting Scientific Polls

• When conducting polls, careful sampling should be performed to make it as scientific as possible

Random Sample

• A random sample ensures any person in the population has the same chance of being selected.

Population

• The population is the full group from which the sample is pulled.
• For election polling, the "population" would be likely voters.

Stratified Sample

• A stratified sample divides the population into subgroups and weights them based on population demographics.

Sample Size

• For the U.S., a sample size of about 1,000 – 1,500 people is sufficient.

Sampling Error

• Sampling error is a polling error arising from using a sample of the population.
• This gives a margin of error.
• Margin of error is the percent of results that could be the result of chance variation, which is typically +/- 3%.

Public Opinion & Political Influence

• Media focuses heavily on polls during elections, and may create a bandwagon effect for candidates leading in polls.
• Politicians use polling to determine the level of support a particular policy has, identify which issues are most important to constituents, tweak positions on issues, and help with campaign strategy.

Quality and Credibility of Polling

• If a poll is scientifically valid, its results may be relatively credible, within a margin of error.
• Elements of a scientifically valid opinion poll include: sample size, neutral questions, question order, and stratified and random samples.
• Reliability means being consistent and repeatable.
• Veracity means being accurate and correct.
• Specific challenges in polling that may reduce reliability and veracity include contacting people to poll.
• Traditionally, polls have been conducted via landline phones.
• Some demographic groups are less likely to answer polls, and the difficulty of identifying who will vote may lead to weighting the sample incorrectly.

Parties & Ideology

• Ideologies are a set of values/beliefs.
• Political parties are a group of people coming together to win political offices and gain political power.
• Ideologies and political parties are not interchangeable terms.
• Libertarians are most likely to be without a political party.
• Liberals are more likely to be Democrats.
• Conservatives are more likely to be Republicans.

Democratic Party Coalition

• Includes younger voters (18-44), a racially diverse group, women, LGBTQ individuals, and secular people.
• Encompasses Jewish and Muslim individuals, those with less than a high school education, and those with post-graduate education.
• People living in urban/city areas with an income of less than $50,000 per year are more likey to side with the democratic party.

Democratic Party Platform (2016)

• Aligns more closely to liberal ideological positions.
• Features decreased defense spending and increased spending on public schools.
• They do not support vouchers for private schools.
• Seek to increase social welfare programs.
• Supports targeted tax cuts to lower and middle class; and increase taxes on wealthier Americans.
• Supports gun control measures and is pro-choice.
• Support environmental regulations

Republican Party Coalition

• Includes middle-aged and older voters, white people, men, Evangelical/Christian conservatives, with an income greater than $50,000.
• From the Southern, Midwestern area
• Rural are
• White collar workers and veterans make up a large portion of the coalition.

Republican Party Platform

• It seeks to increase defense spending.
• They want to decrease money spent on social welfare programs and public education.
• They seek to increase access to vouchers for private schools and aim to cut taxes and oppose gun regulation.
• The Republican party is pro-life and opposes environmental regulations.