Tuesday October 22, 2013 OBJ: SWBAT understand the influence that public opinion has on policies by examining different examples. Drill: What is this a.
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Tuesday October 22, 2013• OBJ: SWBAT understand
the influence that public opinion has on policies by examining different examples.
• Drill: What is this a caricature of? What does this say about the relationship between the public, polls and government?
•The Framers of the Constitution did not try The Framers of the Constitution did not try to create a government that would do from to create a government that would do from day to day day to day ““what the people want.what the people want.””
•They created a government for the purpose They created a government for the purpose of achieving certain substantive goals.of achieving certain substantive goals.
The Framers of the Constitution created a government to achieve certain goals:
“to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, ensure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessing of Liberty.”
– Preamble to the Constitution
Characteristics of Policy-Making• Economic Policy:• a government policy for maintaining economic growth and
tax revenues• Fiscal Policy:• a government policy for dealing with the budget (especially
with taxation and borrowing)• Monetary Policy:• Monetary policy is the process by which the monetary
authority of a country controls the supply of money, often targeting a rate of interest for the purpose of promoting economic growth and stability. The official goals usually include relatively stable prices and low unemployment
A “good” poll depends upon the selection of a random sample of persons chosen in such a way which insures that every person in the universe of people has an equal chance of being selected for interviewing.
National samples usually begin with 1,000 or more randomly selected persons
-- the larger the sample, the more accurate the results
-- the larger the sample, the more costly it becomes
Survey Research: Can We Believe the Polls?
The accuracy of the results primarily depends on the randomness and size of the sample as well as the wording of the questions.
Leading questions are often used by unprofessional pollsters to produce a result favorable to their side.
Survey researchers can estimate the sampling error through the mathematics of probability.
-- the sampling error is usually expressed as a percentage range—for example, plus or minus 3 percent
Survey Research: Framing the Question
Do you believe that waterboarding is torture and that the U.S. has a moral responsibility to not engage in or condone any form of torture?
-- the question is confusing as there are two issues that are presented: is waterboarding torture and whether the U.S. should engage in it
Do you believe that abortion should be legal?-- the question is oversimplified as many people believe that
abortion should be legal under certain circumstances
Should the Obama administration step back from the rush to create “cap and trade” energy legislation that will cost jobs, harm future economic growth, and impose an estimated $1,761 new energy tax on American families?
-- the question is biased
Characteristics of Policy-making• Foreign Policy:• a government's strategy in dealing with other
nations.• Social Welfare Policy:• The study of social services and the welfare state. It focuses
on the idea of social welfare and its relationship to politics and society. Specifically, it also considers detailed issues in the society and encourages the study and teaching of social welfare policy, policy practice within social work education and its importance.
• Get into groups of five.– Count off in fives.– Meet up with your number groups.– Read your article together– Summarize it, and explain how, if at all public
opinion determines public policy.– Get back in your original groups and share your
Public Opinion and Democracy• Majoritarian model of democracy holds
government should do what a majority of the people want– Around 70% of Americans think majority
opinion should have a great deal of influence on politicians
• Pluralist model of democracy believes democracy requires free expression of opinions by minority groups– Public as a whole rarely demonstrates clear,
•It is not easy to know what the public It is not easy to know what the public thinks.thinks.
•A few simple, clear-cut and widely A few simple, clear-cut and widely discussed issues may allow for some discussed issues may allow for some degree of certainty.degree of certainty.
•But, with many lesser-known issues that But, with many lesser-known issues that certainty may be missing.certainty may be missing.
WHAT WOULD YOU DO?M E M O R A N D U MTo: Bill Byron, U.S. SenatorFrom: Dan Joyce, legislative assistantSubject: Vote on path to citizenship billYour state has only a small illegal immigration problem, but voters have concerns both
about maintaining law and order, and providing economic opportunities and a “path to citizenship” for people who have resided in this country for many years. As you contemplate both your vote on the bill and your possible presidential bid as a Republican, note that public opinion on the subject is divided by party, race, ethnicity and religion. For example, an August 2010 Pew poll asked about priorities in dealing with illegal immigration: 47% of Republicans, 34% of Independents, and 21% of Democrats cited “better border security;” 41% of Hispanics, versus 19% of White evangelicals cited “creating a path to citizenship”
Arguments for:1. Your state contains a small but slowly growing proportion of first-
generation Americans, who favor a “path to citizenship” for immigrants who have lived in this country for years, regardless of their legal status.
2. Illegal immigrants often take menial jobs that nobody else wants, and contribute to the U.S. economy by paying taxes and buying goods and services.
3. A “path to citizenship,” with fines and other penalties for being in the country illegally, is the most realistic option for individuals who have family and other long-term ties in the United States.