WEEK 3 PROJECT Due: 8/2/2020Explain the differences between Liberalism and Conservatism. Does ideology really make a difference in the United States today? Support your reasoning with examples. How do
POL2076 American Government Week 3 Lecture
Plethora of Political Influences
As with all things in life, we as political individuals are a sum of our parts. In other words, our political selves are influenced by a number of factors. These factors, in turn, define how we behave politically. This is called "political socialization." Through the process of political socialization, we develop our attitudes towards government, resolving conflict, the acquisition and distribution of wealth, our perception of leadership, power, etc. Family, education, religion, peers, friends, age, gender, and the media are important influences on the political socialization process.
Try to recall your earliest memory of the President of the United States. What did you think of him? Of the Republican or Democratic party? It is likely that what your parents thought about the president and his party shaped your earliest feelings and attitudes. Similar processes also influenced your early attitudes about the American flag or the role of the police. Socialization occurs on many different levels.
However, to be politically socialized at an early age does not mean that we don't change or evolve politically. If you question your parents and grandparents on their political affiliation and participation, you will find that as you get older, other influences outside of the family begin to impact and shape your perception of political reality.
Traditionally, if you were a Republican, it was because your parents were Republican, and their parents were Republican, and so on. However, because of technological advancements like cable television, the cell phone and the internet, our homes and local communities have opened to social, economic and political influences beyond our immediate environment. Other factors have gained greater influence over us. This has weakened the traditional role of institutions like the family and religious institutions in the political socialization process.
Identifying Your Political Self
Before we can truly talk about our political opinions, it is important to identify our political selves. Your text analyzes the factors that influence our political socialization: family, education, religion, peers, friends, age, gender, and the media.
We, in turn, can look at how these influences shape our political beliefs and party affiliation. For example, we can look at issues that have traditionally differentiated the Democrats from the Republicans to see where we fall as individuals along the political spectrum. But remember that although the US is considered a two-party system there are many other political parties and perspectives other than the Democrats and Republicans. With a two-party system, however, there are two primary players.
Republicans have traditionally favored:
Strong defense spending
Prayer in public schools
Abolishing abortion
Minimal government involvement
Business - employers rather than employees
Death penalty
Democrats have traditionally favored:
Strong domestic/welfare spending
Strong separation of church and state
Pro-choice
Stronger government involvement
Unions - employees rather than employers
Anti-death penalty
Regardless of where you locate yourself on the political spectrum the fact remains that in this day and age people often cross party lines. This means that if we use the political values we have discussed to locate ourselves along the political spectrum, we would most likely find that we hold ideas from each party, thereby moving most of us more towards the moderate center.
Historically, Democrats and Republicans voted along strict party lines; people always voted for their party's candidate and adhered to the party's position on issues. Because of the changes that America has experienced throughout the 20th century, the average person does not follow such strict patterns anymore. This has made the campaigning process very difficult, as many of us are now issue-oriented voters rather than strict party-line voters.
Polling
We hear much today regarding political polling as part of our current political process. Polls are used to predict election outcomes or determine perspectives on a current political issue. Done correctly, polling is an accurate social science with a high degree of accuracy. Polling requires following strict rules regarding sample size, random selection of participants and margins of error. At best, polling is only a snapshot of a moment in time. Moods shift and opinions change as more information becomes available. For polling to accurately work, a representative sample based on many factors which represents the larger population must be identified. A representative random sample of the identified population must be taken and is usually done by telephone. Sample size determines the margin of error with a larger sample size having a smaller margin of error. Polling questions and the set of response choices can bias poll outcomes if they are not neutrally presented in an unbiased manner. Demographic weighting emphasis and lack of access to all in a random sample can impact outcomes. Therefore, one must look at the internals of a poll to see if it was scientifically conducted to determine the credibility of a poll. Besides trying to accurately gauge public sentiment on a political issue, polling can be used to achieve a pre-determined outcome as part of the political process to show support for a political position. Polls are also conducted to achieve a desired outcome to form the basis for a media news story. As one can see, polling has a variety of uses and thus one should do research to determine the purpose of the poll before accepting the polling results. Regardless of its purpose, polling remains an integral part of the political process.
