Understanding Political Behavior and Attitudes

• Political behavior is how people think, feel, and act regarding politics.

Key Areas of Research in Political Behavior

• Includes public opinion, ideology, partisanship, political knowledge, participation, campaigns, the media, and polarization.

• Democratic theory is based on the principle that citizens can make informed and rational choices.

• Political culture is society's beliefs, attitudes, and values towards the political system.

• Daniel Elazar identified individualistic, moralistic, and traditionalistic subcultures in the U.S.

• Civic culture involves people accepting participation in politics while acknowledging state authority.

Formation of Political Attitudes

• Political attitudes influence how individuals perceive governance, policies, and social issues.
• They are a combination of internal and external factors.
• Crucial in shaping voters behavior and public opinion.

Key Factors in Political Attitude Formation

• Political socialization often occurs within the family, where individuals adopt political ideology, values, and party loyalties.
• Education shapes political attitudes by providing knowledge about the political system and fostering critical thinking.
• Social groups and peer influence affect political beliefs.
• Media and technology play a vital role in disseminating political information and framing issues.
• Life events and crises can reshape political views.

Influence of Political Culture on Political Institutions

• Political institutions are shaped by cultural environments.
• Cultural values are fundamental in shaping political systems.
• Cultural divisions can influence how policies are made.

Types of Political Participation

• These are categorized participants into voters, campaigners, communal activists, and contactors.
• Voting involves casting a ballot in elections.
• Campaigning involves actively working or supporting political candidates or parties.
• Communal activity involves participating in group activities aimed at addressing community issues.
• Contacting officials involves directly reaching out to public officials.

Social Bias in Participation

• Socioeconomic status: participation is typically observed more among well-educated people.
• Race and gender: rates are higher among certain racial groups.
• Age: tend to show more involvement in political activities.

Motives for Political Participation

• Idealism: the desire to support candidates that align with one principles
• Civic responsibility: a sense of duty to contribute
• Concern for political problems: motivation to address issues
• Personal interest: driven by personal benefits
• Enjoyment: personal satisfaction or social interaction

Forms of Participation

• Conventional activities include joining political parties and casting ballots.
• Unconventional activities include joining protests and rallies/activism.
• Illegal activities include non-violent law-breaking protests to policies.

Political Groups

• These are used to explore public opinion in a qualitative and interactive manner.
• Focus groups are small, diverse groups that discuss specific topics.
• Deliberative opinion polls inform about an issue and engage in discussion before expressing their opinion.
• Political mobilization is the process of organizing and engaging individuals in social movements to advocate for a specific cause.
• Alienation is an attitude of estrangement from the political system, categorized by political incapability and discontent.
• Political incapability is force by the Environment.
• Political Discontent is Voluntary chosen by them.

Political Alliances

• These involve coalitions or partnerships between individuals, groups, or political entities to achieve mutual objectives.

Types of Alliances

• Electoral alliances are formed to increase vote shares, such as coalitions between smaller parties in proportional representation.
• Legislative alliances are partnerships in parliament to pass legislation or form a government.
• Issue-based alliances are temporary alignments to address specific issues.

Types of Cleavages

• Ethnic cleavages are tensions arising from ethnic diversity, often influencing party alignment.
• Conflicts often derive based on religious differences.
• Economic/class cleavages: divides between economic classes, significant in shaping labor and socialist movements.
• Modern societies often experience overlapping identities, where individuals belong to multiple social groups, creating complex political dynamics.

Civil Society

Social Movements and Activism

• Social movements emerge in society to pursue non-establishment goals through unorthodox means.
• Activism is actively supporting or campaigning for a cause, typically through direct action.
• Social movements are broad, and involve the collective effort of a large group.
• Special interest groups are organized groups that advocate for a specific interest or issue.

Lobbying/Government Relations

• Lobbying is the act of influencing public officials, particularly legislators, to enact, modify, or reject laws.
• Direct lobbying involves communicating to legislators or other government officials.
• Grassroots lobbying involves influencing the public to contact their legislators or other officials.

Key Features of Lobbying

• Actors include special interest groups, business organizations, and non-governmental organizations.
• Methods involve formal meetings, presentations, public campaigns, or informal discussions.
• Focus areas are often influenced by personal relationships and cultural practices.
• Cultural influences include taxation laws, business regulations, environmental policies, and social welfare issues.

Quasi-Non-Governmental Organizations

• These are entities that are particularly funded and controlled by the government, but not completely under its control.