Unit 2 Overview - Government

Citizens' Beliefs About Government

• Political Advocacy Efficacy: Belief in one's ability to influence government.
  • Higher efficacy leads to greater involvement in politics (e.g., voting, campaigning).

Four Basic American Political Beliefs

1. Political Equality: Equal political rights for all.
2. Free Enterprise System: Support for capitalism.
3. Equality of Opportunity: Everyone should have the opportunity to succeed.
4. Mistrust of Government: Increased since the 1970s (Watergate scandal, Nixon).
   • Note: Americans generally do not believe in economic equality, but in equality of opportunity.

Political Socialization

• Definition: The process by which people develop their political beliefs.
• Major Influences:
  1. Family: Primary influence on political beliefs.
  2. Media: Significant role in shaping beliefs.
  3. School: Educational influences.
• Age Factor: Older individuals are more likely to participate in politics (senior citizens have high voter turnout).

Public Opinion

• Measurement: Conducted through polls (e.g., Gallup polls).
• Characteristics of Effective Polls:
  • Random sampling.
  • Representation of larger population.
  • Large sample size with low margin of error.
  • Unbiased question wording.
• Revealed Trends: Disconnect and distrust of government, wariness of big government.

Political Participation

• Conventional Methods: Voting, campaigning, donating money.
  • Voting is the most common form.
• Unconventional Methods: Protests, civil disobedience, violence.
  • Examples: Martin Luther King Jr., Henry David Thoreau.
• Socio-economic Influence: Higher socio-economic status increases likelihood of participation.
  • Blacks and whites vote in close percentages; older individuals participate more.

Political Ideologies

• Liberals:
  • Advocate for decreased military spending.
  • Tend to be pro-choice on abortion.
  • Support higher taxes on the wealthy.
  • Favor increased spending on social programs (e.g., Medicare).
• Conservatives:
  • Support increased military spending.
  • Tend to be pro-life.
  • Favor lower taxes on the wealthy.
  • Advocate for decreased social program spending and smaller government.
• Demographic Trends: Women, African Americans, and people under 30 more likely to be liberal.

Recap

• Political Efficacy and Four American Beliefs.
• Political Socialization: Family, media, and school as influences.
• Public Opinion: Poll characteristics.
• Participation: Conventional vs. unconventional methods.
• Liberal vs. Conservative Characteristics: Essential knowledge for exams.

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• Prepare for Unit 3 and exam in May. Good luck!