Class notes 04 02 13 Public trust Levels of trust constrains what government can do Constrained government increases anger High levels of trust allows them to enact long term policy Low trust results in short sided policy Term limits Direct vote 1950 s high trust 1960 s started showing decrease in trust Rally around the flag times of unity when external global threats are present 04 04 13 US has high level of social trust Factor influencing why people vote is the belief that your vote can have an influence in process Some people believe they can have influence but also do not trust the government Social trust support civil liberties virtues government institutions and programs Social trust has decreased 1 3 population believed you can generally trust Reasons for variations in social trust Younger people are more trusting Counterarguement Older generations had to handle hardship depression extreme wars etc People generally things getting worse Definition of Social trust and social capital contrast On test 04 16 13 People vote according to interests Reelected confident leaders Hard for president to get reelected when no improvement in government Sharing model Idea that office holders are just like us they share the same ideology They will represent region in which elected them Party Model People vote according to party in which they prefer Setback Leaders are different from public Why they join politics 40 Family Only 10 have politically active homes 59 lawyers in Senate but 1 of US labor force Senate is more white males Overrepresentation of affluent middle class citizens Platforms are good for finding out what candidate stands for Revision to domestic policies occurs when democrats in control Unemployment goes down when democrat in office Inflation tends to decrease when Republicans in office Book notes Chapter 9 Support for Civil Liberties Nazis wished to protest in Illinois but required a 250 000 insurance bond so they turned to Skokie city Holocaust survivor told story of how holocaust soldier shot his 2 year old daughter in front of him and mayor ruled that to demonstrate a group needed these things 350 000 insurance Officials could deny permit if group promoted hostility towards individuals based on race religion or ethnicity Group cannot demonstrate representing any political party with military uniform American Civil Liberties Union represented the Nazi party and filed against Skokie declaring ordinances were designed to restrict free speech Ruling that Skokie was unconstitutional and ordinances were nullified including insurance Civil liberties rights granted to citizens that are protected from government suppression Freedom of speech freedom of religion etc Political tolerance Public support for civil liberties A willingness to put up with those things that one rejects Marketplace of ideas Many different political views being available in the public arena Only when there is a free marketplace of ideas can official tell the true public interests Need political tolerance for this Participatory democrats Value political tolerance Value Marketplace of ideas Believe formal education greater involvement in politics and exposure to democratic principles increases tolerance Elite Democrats Expects public to have self interest Expects intolerance Constitutional framework formal system of government as enshrined in the constitution Are Americans Tolerant Practice of civil liberties not high and tolerance varies per political act and group Stouffer s Classic Study Analyzed tolerance towards individuals holding unconventional political views Determine levels of tolerance towards communists socialist atheist Questions assessed tolerance for Making a speech Keeping a published book in the public library Teaching at a university Overall public intolerant mostly towards communist and atheists Public less tolerant for teaching at university believing it was more influential Trends in Political Tolerance Stouffer questions were incorporated into GSS Each GSS has new sample Tolerance for Speech making 1972 1954 increase in tolerance Communist and atheist increase in tolerance to 1990 then leveled Do not know about socialists Racists militarists homosexuals Highest tolerance increase for homosexuals Tolerance for racism has decreased Muslim extremist tolerance VERY LOW 70 of citizens support practice of civil liberties for individuals professing views outside political mainstream Varies on topic and group NOT FOR SURE Criticisms Sullivan Piereson and Marcus Tolerance of Least Liked Groups Argue that Stouffer doesn t determine whether individuals dislikes the groups Sullivan Least liked group LLG Believed to be alternative method which better represents definition of tolerance for individuals with opposite views Asked respondents which political group they liked least Could suggest one not on list Included more groups 1978 LLG communists then KKK 2005 LLG KKK by far Barely muslims and Nazis after Results 40 LLG was a one of the three Stouffer groups from measure for tolerance 2005 change of LLG from the 1978 to 2005 10 chose Stouffer three groups as LLG compared to 40 Measured torelance of their LLG Asked whether they supported civil liberties for their LLG Speechmaking Holding rallies Included communists and atheist to compare LLG to Stouffer Groups More tolerant for Stouffer 3 groups compared to LLG Tolerance for LLG decreased from 1978 to 2005 Contrary to Stouffer conclusion that it has increased Stouffer results came from people having less negative attitudes more tolerance for the 3 groups compared to the LLG Political times Features the broader environment during a particular era that can shape public opinion toward specific issues or people Factor for variation of tolerance for groups over time 2 3 of public believed their LLG should be outlawed Pluralistic intolerance the result when the public does not support the free expression rights of many different political groups Public selects of groups to not tolerate Source of Tolerant Attitudes Formal education Cognitive development and sophitication Exposure to diversity Tolerance differences in demographic groups because some are less likely than others to be exposed to diversity Individuals with partners who hold different views are more tolerant Personality traits Low level of self esteem results in less tolerance Interferes with learning social norms Dogmatic individuals are less tolerant compared to open minded people Support for