Takes more time but you get more involved One on one interaction Chapter 8 Voting Forms of Participation cid 2 Voting cid 2 Contacting public officials cid 2 Volunteering for campaigns cid 2 Protest rally cid 2 Sign petitions cid 2 Donate high activity cid 2 Run for office most intensive Forms of participating cid 2 Usually by organized interests Lobbying Done by interest groups convince congress how to vote Public relations giving a good image about something like coal Litigation Usually not an individual bringing big bills but groups Voting cid 2 Suffrage the legal right to vote 15th amendment Universal male suffrage 19th amendment Women suffrage 26th amendment voting age lowered to 18 Voting Trends cid 2 Turnout Percentage of eligible individuals who actually vote Low compared to other democracies Europeans have 70 90 voter turnout U S Presidential election is usually around 60 but has been lower Mid term elections are about 33 State and local elections can be in the teens cid 2 Trends Race Ethnicity cid 2 African Americans have always voted less than whites but more than any other minority cid 2 Latinos have low levels of voting but that is changing Gender Gender Gap cid 2 Distinctive pattern of voting behavior reflecting the differences and views of men and women cid 2 Men tend to vote republican and women vote democrat Age older Americans participate more Religion cid 2 Evangelical Christians active force republican party cid 2 You can see distinct voting patterns within groups Socioeconomic Status SES cid 2 Based on level of education income and occupational prestige cid 2 Most important predictor for participation cid 2 Higher vote more than low Registration requirements states have this power cid 2 Residency cid 2 Waiting Periods period of time to register before election cid 2 Criminal History checked cid 2 Usually Depress Turnouts Hard requirements cid 2 All of these effect whether or not voters will actually vote cid 2 Same day registration and voting has a lot more turn out Chapter 6 Public Opinion Public Opinion cid 2 Citizen s attitude about political issues leaders institutions and events cid 2 cid 2 Values or Beliefs Individual opinions are formed from values and political ideology Basic principles that shape a persons opinions about political issues and events Hard to change cid 2 Political Ideology government cid 2 Attitude or Opinion Formation of Opinions cid 2 Political Socialization Cohesive set of beliefs that form a general philosophy about the role of Specific view or preferences on a particular issue or event The way in which individuals learn their underlying political values beliefs and ideology the process How you become republican or democrat cid 2 Agents of Socialization Social Institutions that shape belief values and political ideology what causes the process of socialization Family cid 2 Most significant and determinant cid 2 Most people align with parents but some disagree cid 2 Party preferences are usually acquired at home of where you get your values Social Groups can change your beliefs cid 2 Religion Church cid 2 Gender way you re treated as a male or female cid 2 Race treated different my society come from different backgrounds cid 2 Class upper class vs lower class may be for or against welfare cid 2 Partisanship attend different partisan functions cid 2 Interest Groups hear their ideas Education cid 2 Many professors are Liberal cid 2 College makes people more likely to participate Political Environment cid 2 People who reached 18 during WWII are much more supportive of the military had parades etc cid 2 People who reached 18 during the war of Vietnam is different because the war was unpopular cid 2 The environment in which you are becoming aware of politics Measuring Public Opinion cid 2 Public Opinion Polls scientific instruments for measuring public opinion Ask a bunch of questions about how you feel about the issues Do not question all Americans just a sample of the population Population v Sample cid 2 Population Everybody like Americans cid 2 Sample the people you actually ask the ones you are interested in must be random and representative of the overall population do not necessarily go together cid 2 Can be 2 problems size and wording cid 2 Can t ask everybody because it takes too long and costs too much cid 2 Sampling Error function of sample size large sample small marginal error and the more confident you are Sample size the reliability of the poll the larger it is the more reliable determines sample error marginal error cid 2 Measurement Error Problem with the design of your poll the wording can affect the outcome Design if a policy is followed by a positive or negative question function of Push Polling a polling technique that shapes the decisions done on Nonrandom Sampling like asking them to give it to 5 of their friends or Can Cause Bandwagon Effect electoral support shifts to the candidate that bad or problem design purpose asking one class is leading in the polls Chapter 9 Political Parties Why Two Parties cid 2 Political Parties organized groups that attempt to influence government by electing their members to important government offices cid 2 Their goal is to influence government but their strategy is getting members into office cid 2 Two Party System only two parties have a realistic opportunity to compete effectively An independent party can be represented but only two have a major shot cid 2 Single Member District Plurality Voting SMDP biggest reason we have two parties Def voting in which each district elects a single member using plurality voting for our HOR broken down by house districts cid 2 Duverge s Law countries that use SMDP will have a two party system and others will have a multiparty system SMDP USA v Proportional Representation UK cid 2 SMDP We vote by district a third party can get enough electoral support in one area cid 2 Proportional Representation Multimember district system in which political parties are given seats in government based on the proportion of the vote they get in the election sin 60 get 60 seats Why 3rd Parties Don t Last cid 2 Duverge s Law keeps them out of office don t favor them cid 2 Don t waste vote Even if they have good ideas you don t vote for them b c they are probably going to lose cid 2 Major party absorption Third parties become popular for a time b c they deal with an issue the big parties don t have a view on Eventually the major party starts talking about the