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.