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THE AMERICAN THE AMERICAN POLITICAL SYSTEMPOLITICAL SYSTEM
LECTURE 8 POLITICAL SOCIALIZATION AND PUBLIC OPINION
POLITICAL SOCIALIZATIONPOLITICAL SOCIALIZATION
Learning political behaviorLearning about political ideas, political
systems, our roles in the democratic political system
Political socialization: individual levelIdeas and feelings about issues are
collectively and publicly expressed: public opinion
SYSTEM THEORY OF POLITICAL SYSTEM THEORY OF POLITICAL SOCIALIZATIONSOCIALIZATION
Developed by David Easton and Jack Dennis
A generational process passed on from older people to younger people
Specific support: allegiance given to the system by the people because it delivers what they want
I.e. I am a Republican because the Republican Party believes in cutting taxes
DIFFUSE SUPPORT (SYSTEM DIFFUSE SUPPORT (SYSTEM THEORY)THEORY)
Support given to the system even though presently people are not pleased with its operation at the moment „my country right or wrong”
Paying taxes, even though taxes are too high
Stages: politicization: child becomes aware of authority outside the family, police officer giving a fine for speeding
SYSTEMS THEORY OF DIFFUSE SYSTEMS THEORY OF DIFFUSE SUPPORTSUPPORT
Personalizing outside authority, associating it with certain people—President
Idealizing authority: Police officer is protective, helpful, good
Positive feelings towards figures of authority are transformed into acceptance of the whole system of government
HEGEMONIC THEORYHEGEMONIC THEORY
Political socialization results from a power relation between the dominant ruling group and the dominated governed group
Government uses propaganda and censorship
(flags, national anthems, national heroes)Censorship: (prior restraint)screening
information, which is not in the interest of the ruling group
Stages of political socialization: childhood, adolescence, and adulthood
AGENTS OF POLITICAL AGENTS OF POLITICAL SOCIALIZATIONSOCIALIZATION
Family:persistence of political beliefs through generations
Beliefs concerning ethnic, racial, religious groups
Family identifies child’s identification with political parties
Forming the child’s feeling towards authority
AGENTS OF POLITICAL AGENTS OF POLITICAL SOCIALIZATIONSOCIALIZATION
Schools: civics classes, national anthems,
Teacher as an authority figurePeers: People of similar ages and
interestsIncreased influence during adolescenceMedia: mass communication Cannot tell
what to think, but can influence what to think about
PUBLIC OPINIONPUBLIC OPINION
Develops during the communication process
Person to person communication—more persuasive, direct, message tailored to individual, reward system: instant feedback
Government and government officials: declaring nations that are enemies or friends. How much information is released about a given issue
PUBLIC OPINIONPUBLIC OPINION
Media:Influence the formation of opinion on particular issues V. O. Key: reinforcement of the status quo
Preconceptions: selected exposure to various messages Republicans do not attend Democratic Party events
Social settings: the socio-economic status group of the receiver., ethnic, racial affiliations
Opinion leaders: avid listeners of the media passing along its messages according to their own screening
MEASURING PUBLIC OPINIONMEASURING PUBLIC OPINION
Straw polls: not scientific, using the mail, telephone, and other direct communication messages, asking the „man on the street”
Scientific polling: sampling processSecuring a representative sample: Who will be
interviewed and how will the interview be conducted
Random sampling: interviewing randomly selected people at a particular area
Quota method:interviewing a certain number of people from a certain age, sex, religious, or ethnic group