Political Culture and the American Political Landscape
Jan 14, 2016
Political Culture and the American Political Landscape
Liberalism and Conservatism
A Land of Diversity
Political Socialization
The process by which parents and others teach children about political values, beliefs and attitudes
Reinforcing Cleavages
Divisions within society that reinforce one another, making
groups more homogeneous /similar
Ex.) Race + income
Cross-Cutting Cleavages
Divisions within society that cut across
demographic categories to produce groups that
are more heterogeneous /different
Ex.) Gender
Sectional Differences
• The most distinct section of the United States remains the South– Very conservative region, where religious right
tends to be very strong
Voting Patterns in the 11 Former
Confederate States
Where We Live80% of Americans now live in central cities and their suburbs
Who We Are: Race and Ethnicity
• 37 million African Americans in US = 13% of pop.• Asian Americans = 4%• Native Americans = 1%• 41 million American Hispanics = 14%
• Race is often an important demographic in voting because it is frequently reinforced by other factors such as income and education– Reinforcing Cleavage
Who We Are: Race and Ethnicity
Wealth Distribution in the United States by Race
Who are the Poor?
The Gender Gap
• Men have become increasingly Republican since the mid-1960s
• Women have tended to identify with the Democratic Party since the early 1950s
• Reflects differences between beliefs about the size of government, gun control, social programs, and gay rights
Who We Are: Gender
Gender and the Vote for President, 2004
Who We Are: Religion
Who We Are: Wealth and Income
What are the implications of an unequal distribution of income for a society’s democratic
stability?
Inequality of Income and Wealth
Shares of Total Household Income Received by Highest and Lowest Income Groups
• Americans believe in equality of opportunity but not equality of results
• Aside from race, income may be single most important factor in explaining views on issues, partisanship, and ideology– Most rich people are Republicans, most poor
people are Democrats
Tax Equity
Should the wealthy be taxed at a higher rate--a more progressive rate--in order to provide more services for the
poor?
Who We Are: Occupation
Who We Are: Age
Percent of Population Over the Age of 65, 1900-2000
Generational Gaps on the Issues
Survey by Washington Post/Henry J. Kaiser Foundation/Harvard University, August 2-September 1, 2002, as reported in Elizabeth Hamel et al., "Younger Voters," Public Perspective, May/June 2003, p. 11.
Educational Attainment in
the United States
Public Opinion:Beliefs About Fairness
Q. Some people say there’s not much opportunity in America today--that the average person doesn’t have much chance to really get ahead. Others say there’s plenty of opportunity and anyone who works hard can go as far as they want. How do you feel about this?
– Plenty of opportunity 81%– Not much opportunity 17%– Don’t know 2%
(Responses to a Gallup Poll)
Changes in the Sense of Political Efficacy, 1952-2000
University of Michigan, The National Election Studies.