AP GOVERNMENT COOKBOOK Unit II: Political Beliefs and Behaviors
SYLLABUS - Unit Description II. Political Beliefs and Behaviors (10% - 20%) Individual citizens hold a variety of beliefs about their government, its leaders, and the U.S. political system in general; taken together, these beliefs form the foundation of U.S. political culture. It is important for students to understand how these beliefs are formed, how they evolve, and the processes by which they are transmitted. Students should know why U.S. citizens hold certain beliefs about politics, and how families, schools, and the media act to perpetuate or change these beliefs. Understanding the ways in which political culture affects and informs political participation is also critical. For example, students should know that individuals often engage in multiple forms of political participation, including voting, protest, and mass movements. Students should understand why individuals engage in various forms of political participation and how that participation may affect the political system.finally, it is essential that students understand what leads citizens to differ from one another in their political beliefs and behaviors and the political consequences of these differences. To understand these differences, students should focus on the demographic features of the American population and the different views that people hold of the political process. They should be aware of group differences in political beliefs and behavior. Students should also understand how changes in political participation affect the political system. PAGE 1
Unit II Vocabulary: Political Beliefs and Behaviors Pt. 1 Political culture The widely shared beliefs, values, and norms about how citizens relate to governments and to one another. Social capital Democratic and civic habits of discussion, compromise, and respect for differences, which grow out of participation in voluntary organizations. Natural rights The rights of all people to dignity and worth; also called human rights. Democratic consensus Widespread agreement on fundamental principles of democratic governance and the values that undergird them. Majority rule Governance according to the expressed preferences of the majority. Popular sovereignty A belief that ultimate power resides in the people. American dream The widespread belief that the United States is a land of opportunity and that individual initiative and hard work can bring economic success. Capitalism An economic system characterized by private property, competitive markets, economic incentives, and limited government involvement in the production, distribution, and pricing of goods and services. Suffrage The right to vote. Monopoly Domination of an industry by a single company that fixes prices and discourages competition; also, the company that dominates the industry by these means. Antitrust legislation Federal laws (starting with the Sherman Act of 1890) that tried to prevent a monopoly from dominating an industry and restraining trade. Political ideology A consistent pattern of beliefs about political values and the role of government Liberalism A belief that government can and should achieve justice and equality of opportunity. Conservatism A belief that limited government insures order competitive markets and personal opportunity. Socialism - An economic and governmental system based on public ownership of the means of production and exchange. Libertarianism An ideology that cherishes individual liberty and insists on minimal government, promoting a free market economy, a noninterventionist foreign policy, and an absence of regulation in moral, economic, and social life. PAGE 2
Unit II Vocabulary: Political Beliefs and Behaviors Pt. 2 Ethnocentrism Belief in the superiority of one s nation or ethnic group. Political socialization The process by which we develop our political attitudes, values, and beliefs. Demographics The study of the characteristics of populations. Political predisposition A characteristic of individuals that is predictive of political behavior. Reinforcing cleavages Divisions within society that reinforce one another, making groups more homogenous or similar. Cross-cutting cleavages Divisions within society that cut across demographic categories to produce groups that are more heterogeneous or different. Race - A grouping of human beings with distinctive characteristics determined by genetic inheritance. Ethnicity A social division based on national origin, religion, language, and often race. Gender gap The difference between the political opinions or political behavior of men and of women. Fundamentalists Conservative Christians who (as a group) have become more active in politics in the last two decades and were especially influential in the 2000 presidential election. Gross domestic product (GDP) The total output of all economic activity in the nation, including goods and services. Socioeconomic status (SES) A division of population based on occupation, income, and education. PAGE 3
Core Political Beliefs These are the seven CORE BELIEFS that form the basis for American Political Opinion: Majority rule/minority rights Although democracy is based upon majority rule, minority rights must be guaranteed. Equality Equality of every individual before the law and in the political process. Private Property Ownership of property is protected by law and supported by the capitalist system. Individual freedoms Guarantees of civil liberties and protections of infringements upon them. Compromise Allows for the combining of different interests and opinions to form public policy to best benefit society. Limited Government Powers of government are restricted in a democracy by the will of the people and the law. American Dream People do not have economic equality, but through hard work and determination, anyone can become wealthy. PAGE 4
POLITICAL EFFICACY Political Efficacy is citizens' trust and faith in government and their own belief that they can understand and influence political affairs Have faith in their government Citizens with HIGH Political Efficacy Believe that they can influence their gov t More likely to be politically active. (Voting, protesting, etc.) Citizens with LOW political efficacy Have little faith in their government Do not feel that they can influence their gov t Less likely to be politically active. (Voting, protesting, etc.) PAGE 5
WHERE DO OUR POLITICAL OPINIONS COME FROM? Political Socialization: Political socialization is a lifelong process by which people form their ideas about politics and acquire political values. Later Life Early Life Parents: Parental Influence is the Number One influence on political opinions Educational Systems: Schooling (Specifically Social Studies Education) helps develop political opinion Media: Information regarding world events shapes political opinion. Peer Groups: Friends and associates influence political opinions PAGE 6
TRENDS IN POLITICAL PARTICIPATION: WHO VOTES? Age The older a person is, the more likely they are to vote. The AARP is among the most powerful interest groups because of voter turnout. Level of Education The higher a person s level of education, the more likely they are to vote. More education = higher political efficacy Race Minorities vote at lower rates than whites. History of Voting A person who has voted before is more likely to vote than one who hasn t. Whenever a new group is given suffrage, that group turns out in extremely low numbers. PAGE 7
REASONS FOR LOW VOTER TURNOUT Low Political Efficacy: Many Americans do not feel that voting will change their government. Electoral College: The winner take all feature of the Electoral College discourages voting in states that are not swing states. Voter Fatigue: The large number of elections, primaries and public referendums has lowered public excitement about the electoral process. Weekday Elections: Elections are held on a Tuesday, which is inconvenient for many working Americans. Voter Registration: Unlike many countries, the U.S. requires voters to register. Paperwork discourages voting. (Motor Voter laws sought to fix this.) Two Party System: The winner-take-all nature of single member districts means there are only two viable political parties. This limits voter choice. Many voters do not see candidates that represent their views. Political Scandals: Countless political scandals have reduced the public s opinion of politicians. Closed Primaries: Many states hold closed primaries. In closed primaries, you must be a registered member of the party to vote. Negative Campaigns: The proliferation of negative ads has reduced the public s opinion of politicians and elections. PAGE 8
RACE, RELIGION AND POLITICAL OPINION DEMOCRATS: (Liberals) African Americans are most liberal and the most reliable Democrat voters. Asians and Hispanics vote Democrat, but at lower rates than African Americans. Jewish voters vote Democrat. Newly naturalized immigrants also vote Democrat in large numbers REPUBLICANS: (Conservs.) Evangelical Christians vote Republican. Roman Catholics vote Republican. Mormons vote Republican. **Whites are more likely to vote Republican than any minority group, but the White vote still remains split between parties.*** PAGE 9
GENDER, WEALTH AND POLITICAL OPINION DEMOCRATS: (Liberals) Women are more likely to vote Democrat than Men. The poorer a person is, the more likely they vote Democrat. The more urban the environment, the more likely it is that a person votes Democrat. Though it is becoming a smaller and less predictable voting bloc, Union members tend to vote Democrat. REPUBLICANS: (Conservs.) Men are more likely to vote Republican by a thin margin. The more wealth a person has, the more likely they vote Republican. The more rural the environment, the more likely that a person votes Republican. Suburban voters are also much more likely to vote Republican than Urban Voters. PAGE 10
IMPORTANT TRENDS IN POLITICAL OPINION & VOTING Presidential Elections Women Surpass Men New Voters Don t Vote Trending Steadily Downward Highest Voter Turnout Women now vote in greater numbers than men Whenever a new group is given suffrage, that group barely votes Voters have been turning out in smaller percentages since the 1960 s Off year elections have much fewer voters After 19 th Amendment, female voters were few Ex. 18 year olds, women, African Americans. The 2004 and 2008 Presidential elections were an exception. PAGE 11
POLITICIAL PARTICIPATION (BESIDES VOTING) Protests: People with high political efficacy are more likely to use their right to petition Civil Disobedience: People with high political efficacy may voice displeasure with the status quo by knowingly violating unjust laws. Mobilization: People with high political efficacy are more likely to organize voters Campaigning: People with high political efficacy are more likely to donate money and/or volunteer on campaigns. Running for Office: People with high political efficacy may seek change by running for political positions. PAGE 12
Measuring Public Opinion: Polling Straw Poll- an unofficial vote which is taken to discover what people think about an idea or problem or how they intend to vote in an election. Not accurate or dependable. Scientific Poll- an official poll that contains a randomized set of representative participants. Questions have neutral wording and order. The goal of a Scientific Poll is accuracy. Push Poll: a purposefully inaccurate poll designed to get voters to think in a certain way by offering suggestive wording of questions. Exit Poll: a type of Straw poll conducted outside of a voting location. Pollsters ask voters who they chose. The sample size is often too small to draw accurate conclusions. ***Majority of Polls Conducted Via Telephone*** PAGE 13