Public Opinion and Political Action - Lecture Notes | POLS 101, Study notes of Local Government Studies

Download Public Opinion and Political Action - Lecture Notes | POLS 101 and more Study notes Local Government Studies in PDF only on Docsity! Chapter 6. Public Opinion and Political Action Although we normally hear politicians and reports use the phrase “the American people…” followed by certain claims (from “support the war in Iraq” to “enjoy football”) – no such statement can be made that is a 100% true or 100% false. Because the American population is a diverse population, there are many different groups with many different opinions. The study of American public opinion = aims to understand the distribution of the population’s beliefs about politics and policy issues. In order for American government to work efficiently and effectively, it must embrace the diversity of the American public and its opinions. The American People One way to study the American public is through demography. Demography = the study of population changes. The most valuable tool for understanding demographic changes is the census. Census = the Constitution requires that the government conduct an enumeration of the population every ten years; the first Census was conducted in 1790, the most recent in 2000. The US Census Bureau is charged with not only conducting the census every ten years, but also maintaining the most accurate count of the population possible. Changes in the population – as reflected in Census – impact our culture and political system in many ways. (This is especially evident in the following section) The Immigrant Society: the US has always been a nation of immigrants. All Americans – except American Indians – are either descendents of immigrants or immigrants themselves. There have been three great waves of immigration to the US:  Prior to the late 19th century: northwestern Europeans constituted the first wave of immigrants (English, Irish, Germans, and Scandinavians)  During the late 19th and early 20th century: southern and eastern Europeans made up much of the 2nd wave (Italians, Jews, Poles, Russians, and others).  Recent decades (1980s, 1990s, 2000s): Hispanics (Cuba, Central America, and Mexico) and Asians (Vietnam, Korea, the Philippines…) are the most recent wave. Although Americans may welcome immigrants in general, recent illegal immigrants have been less welcome. Case in Point: California & Proposition 187 You Are the Policymaker Do we need to get Tougher with Illegal Immigrants? (Book, p. 182) Proposition 187 – Save our State Initiative Sought to cut illegal immigrants from public services – public schools, medical assistance for low income… Advocates argued that this would cut down on public spending and it would decrease the number of illegal immigrants who were “taking advantage of the free goods offered in America.” Opponents argued that although illegal immigration was a problem, cutting off public services could do more harm than good. * Risk in public health by denying illegal immigrants basic health care, such as immunization which helps control communicable diseases. * Kicking kids out of school would result in higher crime. They also noted that illegal immigrants pay taxes on the goods the purchase; money which goes to the state. Although Proposition 187 was successful, attempts to implement this measure have been unsuccessful. * The Courts have ruled that the proposition violates the rights of illegal immigrants as well as national law concerning eligibility for federally funded benefits. * Another unforeseen effect: Proposition 187 resulted in racial profiling and the violation of the civil liberties and rights of Hispanic Americas. At the National Level: 2004 Party Platforms Democrats = Amnesty; undocumented immigrants within our border who clear a background check, work hard and pay taxes should have a path to earn full participation in America. Republicans = strong workplace enforcement with tough penalties against employers and employees who violate immigration law. Where do you stand? The American Melting Pot: with its long history of immigration, the US has often been called a melting pot. Melting Pot: the mixing of cultures, ideas, and peoples that has changed the American nation. * Many scholars have challenged the notion of a melting pot; instead, they refer this phenomena as a Salad Bowl (lettuce w/ fixings) because immigrants bring with them their own aspirations and political beliefs, which normally do not blend together (as melting pot seems to imply). Because of the most recent third wave of immigrants, policymakers have begun to speak of the new minority-majority. (this is why its more a salad bowl than a melting pot… lettuce no longer a majority … overpowered by fixings) Minority Majority: the emergence of a non-Caucasian majority, as compared to a White, generally Anglo-Saxon majority. If we could ask every American about his or her opinion, we would have a universe. However, most polls rely on a sample of the population. Sample = a relatively small portion of people who are chosen to be representative of the whole. (ex/ sample vs universe: universe = all uic students / sample = portion of uic students) (ex/sample: you don’t need to draw all your blood for an AIDS test, just a small portion) In public opinion polling, a sample of 1000-1500 people can accurately represent the universe of potential voters. However, to have an accurate poll, you need to have a random sample. Random Sampling: operates on the principle that everyone should have an equal probability of being selected as part of the sample. Your chances of being part of a poll should be as good as that of anyone else – regardless of age, income, race or ethnicity, education…. Accurate representation, not the number of respondents, is the most important feature of public opinion surveys. Sampling Error: because the science of polling involves estimation, a sample represents the population with only a certain degree of confidence. The level of confidence is known as the sampling error which is determined by the size of the sample; the larger the sample, the smaller the sampling error. Question: Do IL POLS 101 students support the war in Iraq. Margin of Error 5 = sample of UIC POLS 101 students; 55% say yes = 50-60% Margin of Error 3 = sample of all Chicago POLS 101 students; 55% say yes = 52-58% Margin of Error 1 = sample of all IL POLS 101 students; 55% say yes = 54-56% Examples of Bad Survey Questions: public opinion can also be misleading and problematic because of the way questions are posed. (Welch and Comer, Quantitative Methods for Public Administration) Respondents are unlikely to have required information – Senator Fitzgerald should have voted for Senate Bill 1593. Negative wording leads to misunderstanding. The government should not censure the Internet. Double meaning, asking two questions at once. The University should reduce the price of parking on campus and create a larger parking lot for students and faculty. Vague wording, words are unclear. When you went to college, did you live in the dorm or off campus? Omitted possible responses. When you were a freshman, did you live in the dorms or off campus? The Role of Polls in American Democracy: Although polls help political candidates detect public preferences, opponents argue that polling causes politicians to follow the public rather than lead it. Question: Does public opinion lead to public policies, or do public polices lead to public opinion? Look at 1964 CRA, did public opinion actually fuel equality, or did previous public policies instigate public opinion towards greater equality. What Polls Reveal About Americans’ Political Information: Americans know little of politics. They know their astrology sign, but not the name of their representatives; Americans know that Bush hates broccoli, but they don’t know his stance of tax cuts for capital gains. Although Americans may not know the ins and outs of politics, they know which values they want upheld. Overhead Figure 9.1 Americans’ Support for Fundamental Values The Decline of Trust in Government: one thing which is certain is that Americans have grown increasingly dissatisfied with government. Figure 6.4 The Decline of Trust in Government, 1958-2004 (p. 196) Factors affecting decline: Vietnam War, Watergate, Iran hostage crisis, war in Iraq, war on terror, Katrina… What Americans Value: Political Ideology Political Ideology: a coherent set of values and beliefs about public policy; viewed as conservatism or liberalism. Who Are Liberals and Conservatives? Although most Americans tend to be conservative, there are differences between ages (young, less conservative), genders (women, more liberal), minorities (more liberal), religion (more conservative)… Do People Think in Ideological Terms? Most people do not think in ideological terms because most do not organize their political beliefs as clearly as show in Table 6.2. Table 6.2 How to Tell a Liberal from a Conservative (Book, p. 197) Most Americans tend to choose options under the liberal or conservative umbrella based on the policy issue in question. They may not always agree with all the positions listed under these terms. Circle the choices you agree with on each of the policy issues. Do you find yourself agrees with some choices under liberal AND some choices under conservative? Where do you stand politically? Take the: World’s Smallest Political Quiz How Americans Participate in Politics Political Participation: all the activities used by citizens to influence the selection of political leaders or the policies they pursue. Include: voting, running for office, working regularly in politics, getting people to sign petitions, registering voters (conventional participation), and protests, civil disobedience, and even violence (dramatic and unconventional participation). In the US, political participation is valued and viewed as an expression of American pride in democracy. Nonetheless, many Americans don’t even vote. Class, Inequality, and Participation: the rates of political participation are unequal among Americans. The higher the citizen’s socioeconomic status (education, income, occupation), the higher their participation in politics. (Elite and Class Theory) Those who participate are easy to listen to, those that don’t are easy to ignore. Therefore, who gets what in politics, depends on who participates. Concluding Comments American society is extremely diverse. A way to understand the diversity of this nation is to examine American people through demography. Another way is to examine public opinion in the US. Polls have revealed that Americans know little of government, and often disregard ideological thinking. In addition, although we live in a participatory society, participation is class-biased. Nonetheless, when they need to, Americans display their political socialization through protests in order to gain the attention of government.