Notes :] Thursday Septemeber 25

Democratic theory- government leaders are able to ascertain what public works
(1) Majoritarian model- governemtn do what majority wants
(2) Pluralist- government allow few expression of "minority" opinions

Sampling theory
3 influences accuracy of samples
(1) random sampling
(2) size of sample
(3) amount of variation in population

Public opinion is analyzed according to shape and stablility of distribution of opinions among citizens.
(A) in a skewed distribution- opinions are on one side of the issue
(B) Bimodal- opinions divide sharply between two opposing points
-- great potential for political conflicts
(C) Normal distribution- symmetric and is around the most frequent response (mode)
1. Moderate government policy
2. Stability refers to amount of change in category or shape of distribution.
A) some change very little
B) some change a lot

political socialization- complex process where people acquire their political values importance of early learning:
(1) What we learn first is what we learn best- primary principal
(2) What is learned first structures what is learned later- structural principal

Imporant agents of socialization:
(1) family- children ID with their parents... political party especially
(2) schools- authority figures, direct education, views, attitudes (especially about the government) The longer kids stay in college the more liberal they become.
(3) religion- Protestants are more conservative about the economy than catholics and jews. Jews are more liberal on economic and social situations than catholic and protestants. Catholics are more liberal on economic issues than social.
(4) community and peers- peer groups influence political attitudes
(5) gender- women are more likely to vote democratic
(6) marital status- singles more likely to vote democratic. Married vote more republican
-socialization process in longgggg

Gerneralizations between peoples backgrounds and political values:
(1) people with higher education choose freedom over order and equality
(2) people with higher income are markedly opposed to government policies of income redistribution
(3) Regional difference has declined importance on old political issues
(4) Old ethnicity declinded a determinant of public opinion
(5) race has emerged as a more critical variable on redistribution of wealth to promote equality.
(6) people who follow the bible are more in favor of order
(7) women are more supportive of equality than men

ideology used to interpret public opinion ideologues- people who form political opinions on basis of a distinct ideaology- constitute only minority of about 20%

people who think ideologically are classified more accurately in a 2-dem. type rather than a single liberal conservative continum.