Core American Values

• Individualism - each person is responsible for themselves

• Equality of opportunity - each person has an opportunity to succeed however equality of outcomes is not guaranteed

• Free enterprise - an economic system based mostly on markets and freedom of people to choose what to buy and sell

• Rule of law - no person is above the law

• Limited government - governmental power is limited by the Constitution

Political Attitudes and Socialization

• Political socialization - the process of a person obtaining their political ideology (family and parents, peers, education, media, religion)

• Globalization - U.S. political culture has influenced and been influenced by the values of other countries

• Generational effects - different voting patterns and political beliefs for people in different generations

• Lifecycle effects - people focus on different issues at different points in life

• Major political events - During young adulthood major political events influence attitudes and beliefs

Public Opinion Polling

• Types of polls

  • Opinion poll - a poll to measure public opinion on a particular issue

  • Benchmark poll - used to find out where a candidate stands before any campaigning (helps them learns strength and weaknesses and what issues)

  • Tracking poll - continuous poll to chart changes in opinion over time

  • Entrance/exit poll - taken as people enter or exit polling places on election day, used to predict election outcome, gain insight into voter behavior and to analyze how different demographic groups voted

• Elements of a scientific poll

  • Random sample - all persons in the population have an equal chance of being selected

  • Stratified sample - population is divided into subgroups and weighted based on population demographics

  • Sampling error - a polling error arising from using only a sample of a population (acceptable margin of error is 2%-3%)

  • Wording of question - must be neutral and unbiased can’t lead respondents toward a certain answer

  • Type and format of question - open-ended, multiple choice, etc.

American Political Ideologies

• Marketplace

  • Conservative - less economic regulation

  • Liberal - more economic regulation

  • Libertarian - little or no regulation beyond protection of property rights

• Taxation

  • Conservative - lower taxes

  • Liberal - higher taxes on those with higher incomes

  • Libertarian - minimal taxation

• Government spending

  • Conservative - cut government spending on entitlement programs to promote social and economic equality (Medicaid, Medicare, social security)

  • Liberal - favor government spending on entitlement programs to promote social and economic spending

  • Libertarian - dramatic decrease in government spending including entitlement programs

• Military, crime and punishment

  • Conservative - increase defense spending, more police, more punishment on crime

  • Liberal - decrease defense spending, protecting the rights of the accused

  • Libertarian - favor a dramatic reduction in defense spending, decriminalization of victimless crimes, protect right of the accused

• Privacy and social freedoms

  • Conservative - government should protect traditional values even if this intrudes on individual freedoms

  • Liberal - government should not regulate personal private matters

  • Libertarian - government should not regulate personal private matters

• Education and religion

  • Conservative - support vouchers to attend private schools including religious schools

  • Liberal - support public education, oppose vouchers especially those that can be used to attend religious schools

  • Libertarian - favor privatization of education and expended school choice

• Liberty and order

  • Conservative - favor social order

  • Liberal - favor social liberty

  • Libertarian - favor social liberty

Ideology and Economic Policies

• Keynesian economics - government should stimulate the economy during recessions (high unemployment/falling GDP) by increasing government spending to encourage economic activity (Liberal)

• Supply-side economics - government should stimulate the economy during recessions by cutting taxes and encourage businesses to grow and taxpayers to spend more money (Conservative)

• Fiscal policy - government tax and spending policies conducted by congress and the president

• Monetary policy - conducted by the federal reserve, controls the money supply and interest rates are inversely related

• Federal Reserve - independent regulatory commission known as the central bank in charge of monetary policy

• To lower unemployment: increase the money supply and lower interest rate

• To lower inflation: decrease the money supply and raise interest rates