Title: Chapter 6 Notes Page 156-167, 182-183 Questions/ Main Ideas Notes: (p.

155 167) Main Idea Points

Name: Jennifer Lin Date: 10/15/2010 Teacher/ Block: AG Plyler, P. 1-3

Public opinion consists of those views held by ordinary citizens that are openly expressed The process by which individuals acquire their political opinions is called political socialization Americans political opinions are shaped by several frames of reference. Four of the most important are ideology, group attachments, partisanship, and political culture. Public open has an important influence on government but ordinarily does not directly determine what officials will do.

The Nature of Public Opinion - Public opinion Those opinions held by ordinary citizens that they express openly. - Different opinions from different citizens - Many issues with no majority: Pluralist Elitist Majority - Majority opinion less influence than vocal minority (e.g. The Vietnam War supporters vs. protestors) Role of Public Opinion - Public enduring and fundamental beliefs that citizens share as members of current political community. - Popular transitory thoughts that citizens express on topical issues in the polls. - Contradiction Taxes too high vs. government spending on these policy areas too low. - Gallups view government to act in accordance with their views, disenchanted when they believe government is ignoring public opinion. - People have different opinions, government shall follow public opinion. Summary/Reflection:

Title: Chapter 6 Notes Page 156-167, 182-183 Questions/ Main Ideas Note: [ ] extra, not part of 10/14 HW

Name: Jennifer Lin Date: 10/15/2010 Teacher/ Block: AG Plyler, P. 1-3 Notes: The Measurement of Public Opinion - Measured indirectly through election returns interpreting opinion through feelings and satisfaction - Public opinion polls: Public opinion poll a device for measuring public opinion whereby a relatively small number of individuals (the sample) are interviewed for the purpose of estimating the opinions of a whole community (the population) Sample In a public opinion poll, the relatively small number of individuals who are interviewed for the purpose of estimating the opinions of an entire population. Population In a public opinion poll, the people (for example, the citizens of a nation) whose opinions are being estimated through interviews with a sample of these people. Sampling error Measure of accuracy of public opinion poll - sampling error is mainly a function of sample size and is usually expressed in percentage terms. - Problems, for example, would be the smaller the sample, the greater the error. Also, there is bias among the sample, such as a group chosen with a minority opinion; misleading questions. - Probability sample A sample for a poll in which each individual in the population has a known probability of being selected randomly for inclusion in the sample. - Poll results direction (favorable/positive or unfavorable/negative), intensity (strength of particular opinion), stability (stable or changes over time) [Political Socialization - Political socialization the learning process by which people acquire their political opinions, beliefs, and values. - Primacy tendency the tendency for early learning to become deeply embedded in ones mind - Structuring tendency the tendency of earlier political learning to structure (influence) later learning - Age-cohort tendency Those agents, such as the family and the media, that have a significant impact on citizens political socialization.

Summary/Reflection:

Title: Chapter 6 Notes Page 156-167, 182-183 Questions/ Main Ideas

Name: Jennifer Lin Date: 10/15/2010 Teacher/ Block: AG Plyler, P. 1-3 Notes: - Casual socialization political socialization in U.S. is casual, not rigid program of indoctrination that some societies impose on their people. Still receive thorough education; values through communication media. - Agents of socialization Those agents, such as the family and the media, that have a significant impact on citizens political socialization. Family children accept views from parents School influence through learning views of support for country Peers tend to have similar political views as group Mass media people watch media, framed to affect peoples political perceptions. Political leaders and institutions ability has limits (outcome is unpredictable) Churches Basic social opinions teaches believes and attitudes to the people] [Cultural Thinking: Common Ideas - Ideology A consistent pattern of opinion on particular issues that stems from a core belief or set of beliefs. - Classifications: Conservatives Those who emphasize the marketplace as the means of distributing economic benefits but look to government to uphold traditional social values. Liberals Those who favor activist government as an instrument of economic security and redistribution but reject the notion that government should favor a particular set of social values. Populists Those who favor activist government as a means of promoting both economic security and traditional values. Libertarians Those who oppose government as an instrument of traditional values and of economic security

Title: Chapter 6 Notes Page 156-167, 182-183 Summary/Reflection: Questions/ Main Ideas

Name: Jennifer Lin Date: 10/15/2010 Teacher/ Block: AG Plyler, P. 1-3 Notes: - Group Thinking: Religion Belief in religion influences political opinions, but not as strongly as it did before Class Less influence than in Europe, but related to opinions that will support them and their class Region Declined due to mobility, but location similar views, such as conservative views in the south and mountain states than other places Race and ethnicity Significant influence, differ on issues such as those that side with their race (segregation or social welfare, for example) Gender men vs. women abortion, social welfare (women), state-sponsored force; military (men). Age Growing importance divergent opinions based on differences in ages (raising) and socialization experiences. - Partisan Thinking: Party identification The personal sense of loyalty that an individual may feel toward a particular political party Party loyalties more fluid than originally believed; most adults do not switch their party loyalties easily, and a population proportion never waver still Problems of partisanship the party may not make choices agreeable with the people; affects how people perceive and interpret events. Also, now, people are less likely to vote on the basis of a longstanding party loyalty and more likely to base their choice on the issues and candidates of the moment.]

Title: Chapter 6 Notes Page 156-167, 182-183 Questions/ Main Ideas Summary/Reflection: Questions/ Main Ideas Notes:

Name: Jennifer Lin Date: 10/15/2010 Teacher/ Block: AG Plyler, P. 1-3

Notes: (p.182-183) The Influence of Public Opinion on Policy - Reasonable Believe that the publics views do not count for enough; the elites, it is claimed, are so entrenched and remote they pay little attention to the preferences of ordinary citizens. Countering the belief, Robert Shapiro found a substantial relationship between changes in public opinion and subsequent changes in public policy changed in response to opinion rather than the reverse. In general, accepted that public opinion guides the government, but they perform a specific action - Sufficient The answer to which rests on assumptions about the proper relationship between peoples everyday opinions and what government does. Peoples views are neither fixed nor simply a product of personal circumstances.

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