Chapter 6: Public Opinion
Chapter Review
Political Values
Most Americans believe that, in a democracy, it is the duty of the government to pay heed to public opinion. Democratic government assumes an informed, interested public. Knowledgeable citizens are more likely to participate than less knowledgeable citizens. In addition, more knowledgeable citizens are more likely to support democratic values. Accordingly, a well-informed and knowledgeable citizenry serves the interests of the individual of society. To accomplish this goal, government engages in civil education by informing citizens how they can influence and shape government policies.
I. In what ways do Americans agree on fundamental values but disagree on fundamental issues?
- Values and ideologies reflect a person’s basic orientation to politics, whereas attitudes (or opinions) are specific views on particular issues.
- Americans share a common set of values, including a belief in the principles of liberty, equality, and democracy.
- Presidential candidates frequently embrace such concepts in the abstract.
- Yet Americans find themselves at odds with specific applications of these principles.
- Differences in socioeconomic status (income, gender, race…) play a large role in shaping ones values.
II. How are political values and beliefs formed? What influences individuals’ political beliefs?
- The attitudes that individuals hold about political issues and personalities tend to be shaped by their underlying beliefs and values.
- The processes through which these underlying political beliefs and values are formed are collectively called political socialization.
- The agents of socialization include the family, social groups, education, and prevailing political conditions.
III. What do differences between liberals and conservatives reveal about American political debate?
- Liberals regard equality as the most important core value. The term liberal implies support for political and social reform; extensive government intervention in the economy; the expansion of federal social services; and more vigorous efforts on behalf of the poor, minorities, and women. However, liberals tend to mistrust police power and government intervention in social issues; hence, they often support rights of the accused and oppose government involvement in regulating personal issues such as abortion-rights and gay marriage.
- Conservatives consider liberty to be our core value. The term conservative is used to describe those who generally support the social and economic status quo and are suspicious of efforts to introduce new political formulae and economic arrangements. Conservatives believe strongly against government regulation of business, but tend to favor government intervention in promoting social values, such as government-sponsored school prayer, school uniforms and laws banning abortion and gay marriage.
- Neither ideology is monolithic. Many liberals supported President Bush’s attack on Afghanistan, while some conservatives oppose much U.S. military intervention.
How We Form Political Opinions
I. What influences the way we form political opinions?
- An individual’s opinions on particular issues, events, and personalities emerge as he or she evaluates these phenomena through the lenses of the beliefs and orientations that, taken together, make up his or her political ideology.
- Individuals, however, rarely have fully shaped and rigid ideologies.
- Although ideologies color our political perspectives, they rarely fully determine our views.
- Individuals who are wealthy and have more education are better able to influence the government.
II. How are political issues marketed and managed by the government, private groups, and the media?
- In the absence of strong fixed ideologies, other influences may shape our worldview and attitudes about particular issues, events, and personalities.
- For example, political leaders, private groups, and the media may influence attitudes about issues, events, or personalities that are not shaped by strong ideologies.
- President Bush developed an extensive public relations program to shape public opinion, including “video news releases.”
Measuring Public Opinion
I. How can public opinion be measured?
- Public opinion polls may be used to measure the attitudes of the public on issues, events, and personalities.
- A representative sample is necessary to ensure a cross-section of the population.
II. What problems arise from public opinion polling?
- Using a sample rather than the total population inevitably leads to sampling error (usually about 3 percent).
- In addition, reliability and validity of the survey may be weak, if question bias, ambiguity of questions, and other inadequacies are allowed to exist in the instrument.
- Polls may also be influenced by the degree of saliency of the issues, the good citizen or halo effect, the bandwagon effect, or push polling.
Public Opinion and Democracy
I. How responsive is the government to public opinion?
- Generally, the actions of government officials are consistent with the preferences of the public.
- One study found that in about two-thirds of all cases, from 1935 to 1979, significant changes in public opinion were followed within one year by changes in government policy consistent with the shift in popular mood.
- Sometimes, citizens take action and sponsor ballot initiatives to change policy outside of the usual legislative approach.
- Some states encourage direct democracy by allowing referenda, where the legislature asks citizens to vote directly on an issue.
Section Menu
Organize
Learn
Connect
- Interactive Politics Simulation
- You Decide Exercise
- Questions for Discussion and Thought
- What Government Does Exercise
- Get Involved Exercise
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