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Where our political beliefs come from Slide 2 I. ACQUIRING POLITICAL BELIEFS A. Political self - How we line up on the ideological spectrum based upon our personal core beliefs of the issues. B. Political socialization - The process of how political values and the institutions of state are reinforced in us. Slide 3 C. C. Effects of History on Political Values A persons culture often reflects political beliefs. Do Arabs, Russians, Latin Americans, Iranians, Chinese, or Europeans have the same definitions as we do regarding Justice? Equality? Liberty? Democracy? Slide 4 Political Values (contd) Do our historical or social experiences equate to those of other nations so that we share the same political culture? Slide 5 D. Political effects of heterogeneity Balkanization of culture through disparate factors. - Citizens resist forced assimilation which - results in long term animosity between groups and create unstable govts. Our melting pot effect blends cultures, but forces no one to assimilate. Slide 6 E. Political effects of homogeneity Shared commonality of culture and traditions; single race, language, and perhaps a single religion. - Citizens think and act in a similar fashion - Provides stability in government, but also rigidity in policy and actions. Slide 7 II. LIBERAL vs. CONSERVATIVE Politically active people tend to be the strongest ideologically (e.g. those that vote regularly, work for a campaign, donate money to politics, or run for office). Political efficacy: A persons belief that their political efforts, especially in voting, will make a difference in the end. Slide 8 IDEOLOGICAL SPECTRUM LEFT? CENTER? RIGHT? WHERE DO YOU FIT? LETS DO A SHORT UNSCIENTIFIC XPERIMENT TO SEE ! Slide 9 Conservatives believe it when they see it. Liberals see it when they believe it. -- Dick Armey Former Republican House Majority Leader While it is not true that all stupid people are conservatives, it is true that most conservatives are stupid people. -- John Stuart Mill 19th century political philosopher Slide 10 POLITICAL IDEOLOGIES 1. Liberals (on the left) believe in - heavy govt taxing and spending on social programs - promotion of social equality - implement federal programs through categorical grants - more domestic spending then defense spending - heavily regulation of the marketplace. - They also believe that govt policy is the best solution to solving the countrys problems. Slide 11 2. Conservatives (on the right) believe in: - lower taxes for all - smaller govt with less involvement in the market and peoples lives. - states using block grants to run federal programs - less welfare programs funded by taxpayers - a high priority for defense - They also believe govt policy is more often the problem than the solution. Slide 12 3. Moderates (in the middle) - Consider both sides of the issues and go with those policies and candidates with which they are most comfortable. - Most Americans claim to be here on the political spectrum (~60%) Slide 13 C. Role of Elites Elites are those with a disproportionate share of some valued resource: - Wealth, celebrity status - Education (intellectuals, scientists, artists) - Control of materials or businesses - Holders of political power Political elites tend to be highly partisan liberals or conservatives and often engage in activist roles. Slide 14 III. IDEOLOGY TRANSLATED TO POLITICAL PARTIES A. Republicans - usually conservative - lower taxes; strong belief in property rights - despise excessive govt and its regulation of the economy - want smaller govt footprint in peoples lives - tough immigration policies - strong military presence - sovereignty in international affairs - Order has a higher priority than freedom or equality. Slide 15 Ideology Translated (contd) B. Democrats - usually liberal; ideologically to the left - believe a large govt can solve societys problems - want more cooperation with global organizations - higher taxes, especially on the rich - social and economic justice through use of regulations and courts to achieve those goals) - Equality has a higher priority over freedom and order. Slide 16 IV. FUNDAMENTALS OF U.S. DEMOCRACY A. PLURALITY SYSTEM- In an election for any representative office, the person with the most votes, not necessarily a majority of votes, wins. U.S. voting districts are universal in population size and states must apportion their seats regularly in a constitutional manner by matter of population. One person, one vote Slide 17 BAKER v. CARR (1962) ISSUE: Tennessees legislature failed to properly reapportion its state government voting districts for over 60 years despite 70% more population growth. Baker claimed that failure to redistrict properly had caused significant political changes to the legislature. Thus, his vote and representation had been diluted due to a larger than apportioned population in his voting district. He claimed this violated the 14 th Amendments Equal Protection clause. Slide 18 Baker v. Carr (contd) Courts decision: - TN violated such laws by allowing voting districts to become uneven and then decided in arbitrary ways by the legislature how population and boundaries should be apportioned without using any formula based on the decennial census. - A citizens vote should not be debased or impaired by a lack of state action. - Also, this violated the Guaranty clause of requiring states to maintain a republican form of government. - One mans vote should have equal weight with that of another mans vote. Slide 19 B. CORE VALUES 1. Liberty- one of Lockes natural rights 2. Equality- Equality of opportunity and equal treatment under the law 3. Democracy- legitimacy of govt lies in the consent of the governed 4. Rule of Law- laws are applied equally and impartially as opposed to rule by an individual 5. Individualism- individuals have both rights and responsibilities and should be left alone to compete for success and take care of themselves Slide 20 C. Value Changes 1. Promotion of the general welfare since the 1930s (New Deal) - Capitalism and individualism gives way to govt responsibility for citizens welfare - Social welfare program growth from 1930s through 1970s - Health care as a right debate since 1990s Slide 21 Value Changes (contd) 2. Mistrust of government- A persistent trend in American politics since the 1960s to today - Vietnam War, Watergate, disregard for federalism due to reach of federal power, activist courts, expansion of presidential power - Drop in political efficacy Slide 22 Value Changes (contd) 3. Culture war- Two camps in constant combat with each other - One believes in God, laws of nature, limited federal govt power, and U.S. acts as a force for good in the world - Other believes govt solutions are the answer to societal problems, religion has no place in govt, and the U.S. has had a negative effect on world affairs Slide 23 V. Agents of Political Socialization What is the #1 agent of political socialization? ** Family ** Its the greatest single determining factor for ideology and party choice. Birth and family upbringing usually determine beliefs, values, ideology and party. Slide 24 EDUCATION K-12 concentrates on basic knowledge sets, but also on social indoctrination, Colleges teach opposing values to stimulate critical thinking and challenge established views of students. Slide 25 Education (contd) Effects of higher education One tends to become more liberal with more education. The longer one stays in college or attends a prestigious college, the more liberal they become As an individual ages and earns more money she must pay higher taxes which results in ones challenging of past liberal social and economic views and eventually increases her conservatism in economic and related social beliefs. Slide 26 OCCUPATION Ones type of employment can strongly affect party affiliation. Examples: Labor/blue collar: Democrat Doctors/lawyers: Republican Teachers: Democrat Businessmen/white collar: Republican Military: Republican/Independent Unemployed: Whatever party offers the best deals in obtaining employment. Slide 27 RACE Affiliation often based on social equality issues and economic conditions African-Americans overwhelmingly vote Democrat: - Over 90% have consistently voted Democrat since the early 1960s. Slide 28 Race (contd) Most Asian and Hispanic Americans vote Democrat - Reasons: Support for socio-economic equality & immigration policies. Cuban Hispanics affiliate more with Republicans because they appear to be more anti-Castro/anti- communist. Whites- Strong political affiliations among white European ethnic groups have disappeared over time. White men are mostly conservative, white women mostly liberal Slide 29 RELIGION AS AN AGENT Protestants tend to be the most conservative religious types especially among evangelical (non-mainstream) denominations. Believe religion has a place in govt. Catholics tend to be more liberal than Protestants on most social issues, but are very conservative on moral values (e.g. abortion, death penalty, assistance to poor). Jews Jews are the most liberal of the main three religions in America. Slide 30 GENDER Women tend to be more liberal then men and vote more for Democrats. Women favor government actions that promote equality, domestic program, and less for large military budgets. Men are more conservative and tend to look primarily at issues of defense, crime and punishment, jobs and the economy. Men tend to prefer Republicans. Slide 31 REGIONAL INFLUENCE -T-T-T-The Northeast, Great Lakes area, and West Coast with large urban and unionized industrial populations tend to be more liberal and tilt heavily to Democrats. - T- T- T- The South, Mid-West, and Rocky Mountain West with small town and rural populations are mostly conservative and lean R RR Republican. Slide 32 1996 2000 20042008 Slide 33 1908 2008 Slide 34 VI. PUBLIC OPINION AND VOTERS A. A growing cynicism of the electorate towards government, politicians and the media exists. 1. Public opinion is often at odds with government policies, but more strongly so in the last 10 years than at any other time. 2. Many voters are ignorant of government operations & policies. Slide 35 Assessing Public Opinion B. A big business measuring what voters think has emerged in the form of PUBLIC OPINION POLLS. - Is there consistency of opinion among us? - Politics in not a big priority for U.S. voters; we tend to let the elites do our governing. - Why do pollsters want to constantly know about our concerns and opinions? Slide 36 VII. Characteristics of Public Opinion Salience- an issue affects you personally and now L Latency- an issue doesnt affect you now, but could in the future (e.g. loss of your job; failure to get accepted to your #1 college choice) Intensity- how strong a reaction one has to an issue Stability- public opinion on an issue remains the same P Polarization- split in public opinion; no middle ground so compromise unattainable (e.g. abortion, health care) Slide 37 VIII. Polling Types Exit Polls - Voters questioned right after casting their votes Straw Polls - Unscientific; ask anyone the questions or anyone can answer Tracking polls - Day-to-day questioning on the same issue to measure changes in public opinion over time Slide 38 Sampling Questioning people as representative of the whole population regardless of knowledge on any subject is called sampling. Random Samples Questioning a certain group within the entire sample (e.g. 40-60 year old vets) Sampling Errors (+) or () a certain % in a given poll. How accurate? (depends on # of people answering & how question is phrased) Slide 39 Accuracy of Polls Accuracy of Polls Polls are often unscientific and can be flawed due to bias in: - number of people polled - phrasing of the questions - type of question (multiple choice?) and truthfulness of those who answer it - truthfulness of those who took the poll - who commissioned the poll and why? Slide 40 The Media Slide 41 I. Historical Context A. The media and politics are symbiotic: Politicians depend on the media to get their messages out to the public. Media depends on political events to sell news. - Political opinion shows have become the MOST lucrative and politicians seek access to them. Slide 42 B. Relationship Between Media and Government TThe media has great freedom under the First Amendment. Relationship is bound by law and understandings. - Freedom of the press does not mean freedom from government influence. - Some controls exist (laws on media ownership, rights to respond, obscenity, and licensing). Slide 43 C. The Printed Press Mass circulation newspapers have become less influential as their numbers and readers have declined steadily since 1970s. - Most people are getting news on-line free or from TV. News magazines are in decline and have become promoters of social causes, trivia, celebrity news, and investigative journalism. Slide 44 D. Electronic Journalism TV has been the media mainstay since the 1960s and has largest audiences. - Politicians must act for cameras. - TV stresses candidates personal characteristics and flaws. - Today, the news is dominated by 24/7 TV coverage on dedicated, news channels (CNN, HLN, FOX, MSNBC). Slide 45 Electronic Journalism (contd) Radio talk shows polarize political issues; with conservative views and dominate the medium. Liberal talk radio very small. Internet reaches more than 90% of U.S. homes. It houses a vast warehouse of political knowledge; the vast majority of politicians use it for election purposes. Slide 46 E. Contemporary Media Highly structured: - A decentralized broadcasting industry that is mostly locally based but owned largely by massive media corporations. - Cable & satellite TV is the norm in homes and stronger than broadcast networks. - The rapidly growing Internet is popular for on-line news, blogs, fundraising, and party membership recruiting. - Most print newspapers now have an on-line version. Slide 47 II. Who Owns the Media? Media is privately owned and profit driven. - Corporation for Public Broadcasting (NPR and NPTV) receive some govt financing. US electronic media must be licensed & follow government regulations Impact of private media ownership: - More freedom. - Newsworthiness is determined by the audience. - TV news must have some entertain- ment value. - Heavy reliance on advertising for profits. Slide 48 III. Regulation of Content A. Prior Restraint- A. Prior Restraint- is to censor news before its publication or broadcast due to anticipated harm. - Difficult standard for a govt to make and rarely granted by the courts due to belief it curbs free speech/press rights. Courts also believe the press serves a purpose by keeping the public aware of what its government is doing. - What about national security issues? How free should the free press be? (e.g. WikiLeaks) Daniel Ellsburg, the DoD analyst who triggered "Pentagon Papers issue (NY Times v. U.S.) Slide 49 Regulation of Content (contd) B. First Amendment almost always wins in any conflict with other Constitutional protections. - Very strongly supported by the courts throughout our countrys history! C. Broadcasting is in the national interest so government standards have been applied: 1. Equal Time Rule (Equal Opportunity Rule) If a station sells time to one candidate then it must sell equal time to opponents at the same rates and broadcast it at the same times. Slide 50 Regulation of Content (contd) 2. Right of Reply Rule If a candidate is politically attacked on a non-news broadcast, then that person has the right to reply over that same station (at no cost to him). Also, if a candidate is endorsed by a station, the opponent may request rebuttal time as well. Slide 51 Fairness Doctrine 3. Fairness Doctrine (repealed in 1987) - If a broadcaster airs a program biased towards one side of an issue then time must be given to examining the opposing side of the issue. - Recently, Democrats have tried to reinstate it because of the dominance of conserva-tive talk shows. Slide 52 IV. Medias Own Perception A. First Amendment roles: - Sees itself as guardian of free speech through a free press. - Believes it should be able to shield confidential sources. B. Sees government as a potential tyrant to be watched and its wrong- doings exposed. C. Feels obligated to influence public opinion and set political agendas. Slide 53 EFFECTS OF MEDIA (CONTD) Selective perception Selective perception - Interpretation of messages so that they agree with ones already held beliefs and screening out messages already disagreed with. Selective attention Selective attention - voters tune in or read only those stories that interest them. Slide 54 VII. Media Effects on Policy A. Media outlets only report on what is happening and have had decreasing objective analysis for years. - Ethical lapses and blatant bias towards candidates since 2004 have tainted their reputations as impartial reporters. Slide 55 Media Effects on Policy (contd) B. Modern political campaigns rely heavily on electronic media. - Its expensive to run a campaign, therefore politicians may need to rely more on the media for free time as well as on PAC money to buy expensive TV ads. Slide 56 Media Effects on Policy (contd) C. Setting the agenda: Gatekeeper role Media decides what issues are of national importance and for what length of time. Watchdog role: M eant to serve public interest as to which candidates are worthy. - Expose scandals. - Scrutinize records & views. - Run background stories. - Ensure underdog candidates get coverage to keep them in the public eye. Slide 57 MEDIA BIAS The media tries to shape our opinions about politics and government through - news coverage - candidate endorsements - polls and surveys Todays media is a bastion of political and intellectual elites and is extremely liberal in its bias. Slide 58 D. Media Biases Its Reporting The media frames issues in a biased way by using clever wording and innuendo called loaded language. Example: Capital punishment is cruel and unusual treatment inflicted solely for revenge often on minorities and the poor. -- or -- Capital punishment is a legal due process for the horrible crimes inflicted on the innocent by those with no conscience. Slide 59 Media Biases (contd) Order of presentation within a broadcast or positioning within a newspaper. - Is it front-page, the lead-off broadcast story, or buried? - What is the story line? - What information or opinions are presented? - Is it a lengthy in-depth report or a 30-second overview? - Was there any editorializing within the article or during its broadcast? Slide 60 Opinion Outlets Opinion shows are meant to be politically motivated. The news should be neutral. Media personnel are hard pressed to avoid crossing the line between reporting the news and becoming advocates of political parties, candidates, or agendas. Slide 61 VIII. Politicians Use of the Media Leak information in order to gauge public attitudes. Sensationalize issues for ratings or shock value. Get free media coverage for themselves (town hall meetings, congressional hearings, interviews). Photo opportunities so as to be seen by constituents Slide 62 SPINNING THE ISSUES Politicians regularly use the media to influence voters to interpret events or data in ways favorable to them This is called spin. When politicians hire a media expert, or use a staff member to do this, they call him/her a spin doctor. Politicians should remember: Live by the media; die by the media. Slide 63 END OF UNIT 2 The Media