Expanding the Political Spectrum

1
(No Transcript)
2
The Science of Public Opinion

• Straw polling
• American political leaders have a long history of
  trying to gauge public opinion
• Early attempts-lack of scientific approach
• included counting the size of a crowd, noting the
  level of audience applause, and asking random
  people on the street to express their opinion
• These tactics are all called straw polling- name
  comes from the practice of tossing straw into the
  air to see which way the wind is blowing

3
The Literary Digest fiasco

• 1936- a widely read periodical (Literary Digest)
  mailed postcard ballots to more than 10 million
  people asking if they supported FDR or his
  republican challenger, Alf Landon
• Overwhelming majority of the 10 million survey
  respondents supported Landon. Based on this
  response, the Literary Digest confidently
  predicted that Landon would win a landslide
  victory
• The Literary Digest poll produced flawed results
  b/c it relied on a faulty sample
• Polled only using telephone directories and
  automobile registration rosters-DURING THE
  DEPRESSION WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS SAMPLE???

4
Steps in Scientific Polling

• George Gallup and Elmo Roper developed the
  technique
• Define the universe or population to be surveyed
• Construct a sample or representative slice of the
  population-MUST use Random sampling in which
  every member of the population being studied must
  have an equal chance of being sampled
• Carefully designed survey questions that avoid
  bias
• Telephone or face to face..
• Analyze and report the data

5
Why poll people if this is all they know????

• DO you support Obamacare?

6
Political Ideology

• Traditional Test
• I need a volunteer to take the test
• What political party do you align with?
• Everyone take the QUIZ for homework tonight and
  show me the results..

7
Introduction to the political spectrum

• Define the problem or issue
• Social issue- Gay Marriage
• What is the problem with this mind set?
• Economic Issue- Government Regulation of the
  economy
• How do you pick if you answer differently?
• Because there are really two spectrums, many
  ideology surveys label a significant portion of
  those who take the test as moderate because they
  are measuring standards from both spectrums, yet
  trying to place it on one spectrum.

8

• Social and political liberals favor limited
  government regulation of individual behavior.
• Examples
• Oppose protection of offensive language.
• Oppose censorship of film, music, etc.
• Pro-choice abortion stance.
• Oppose government sponsored religious activity.
• Favor protection of homosexual rights.
• Favor affirmative action programs.

• Social and political conservatives favor broad
  government regulation of individual behavior
• Examples
• Favor protection of offensive language.
• Favor regulation of film, music, etc.
• Pro-life abortion stance.
• Favor government-facilitated religious activity,
  particularly in school.
• Oppose protection of homosexual rights.
• Oppose affirmative action programs.

Extreme Anarchy
Extreme Fascism, Theocracy
9

• Economic liberals favor broad government
  involvement in economic policymaking and
  regulation of business.
• Favor higher taxes, particularly progressive
  (based on income level).
• Programs assisting the poor such as Medicaid and
  Head Start.
• Redistribution of income (welfare social
  security).
• Anti-trust legislation.
• Sympathize with labor in Labor-Management issues.

• Economic conservatives favor limited government
  involvement in economic policymaking and
  regulation of business.
• Favor lower taxes, particularly regressive (flat
  tax, sales taxes).
• Fewer programs with the goal of redistributing
  income (private charitable assistance invest own
  money for retirement).
• Oppose government regulation of market choices.
• Sympathize with business in Labor-Management
  issues.

Extreme Socialism, Government Monopoly
Extreme Laissez-Faire Capitalism, Private
Monopoly
10
Govt. Control
Conservative
Totalitarian
Libertarian
Liberal
Govt. Control
Economic Issues
Freedom
11
Representation in the Reichstag by party
12

• Liberal
• Support for greater government control/regulation
  in economic matters and less government
  control/regulation of individual matters.
• Libertarian
• Support for minimal government control of both
  economic and social issues

• Conservative
• Support for less government control/regulation in
  economic matters and greater government
  control/regulation of individual matters.
• Totalitarian
• Support for complete government control of
  economic and social issues

13

• Favor loose construction a broad interpretation
• Constitutional interpretation may change as
  modern society evolves
• What are our standards today?

• Favor strict construction a narrow
  interpretation
• Constitutional interpretation should remain
  constant through the years
• What did the founders mean?

Liberal
Conservative
14

• Favor tradition over change

• Favor change over status quo

Liberal
Conservative

• Rights of the Individual are more important

• Rights of the community are more important

15
Voter A I worked my way up from poverty to
become the successful business owner I am today.
I get frustrated when I think that my tax money
goes to support people who wont help themselves.
I think part of the blame belongs with the media
they promote all the wrong values.
Voter B I really dont care what other people
do in their free time, as long as they dont
bother me. I sure dont like it when the
government tells me what to do with my money or
in my own home Im certainly not going to turn
around and do the same thing to my neighbors.
Ideology?
Ideology?
16
Voter C I really worry about the state of the
world today. It seems like more and more kids
are growing up in poverty and theres no one
there to help them. I think we need to do more
toward providing healthcare and education
programs for our young people.
Voter D These days, you cant be too careful.
I think we need to spend a lot more money on the
national defense. I wish there was a police
officer on every corner! The police could search
my car all they want, since I dont break the
law. I also think the government should crack
down on the media their reporting gives our
enemies an inside look at all our military
preparations.
Ideology?
Ideology?
17
Govt. Control
Conservative
Totalitarian
Most people will fit somewhere within the
parameters of this circle.
Libertarian
Liberal
Govt. Control
Economic Issues
Freedom
18

• Complete the survey at www.idealog.org and be
  prepared to discuss it in class. Be sure to use
  your email address as your login so I can
  identify whether you have completed the homework.
• Click on take the quiz
• Complete steps 1-3
• Type up a well written response