Reading Review #1 Questions

Reading Questions for Chapter Four “American Political Culture”
1. What are the elements that the book identifies with our political culture? What is the difference between a political culture and a political ideology?

-The book says our American culture believes in democracy and that it is a good thing and that we favor majority rule, and we respect all minority rights.

-The difference is political culture is how people think political and economic life should be carried out and political ideology are peoples set beliefs about policies the government ought to pursue.

2. What is the difference between equality of opportunity and equality of results?

-Equality of opportunity gives people a chance to succeed in an equal way and equality of result is making sure people get the same results.

3. Be familiar with the differences between American political culture and other countries’ political cultures?

-America and France both have a written Constitution and Great Britain does not.

-The USA separates powers between three branches of government, but in contrast the United Kingdom has a parliamentary system.

4. Summarize what the book says about the culture war in America.

• There are two cultural classes locked in a war over values.
• Orthodox people think morality is as important as, if not more important than self-expression and that moral rules derive from the commands of God.
• Progressive people think personal freedom is important just like certain traditional moral rules and that under certain circumstances those rules are changeable.
• Orthodox people are mainly Protestants and Christians.
• Progressive people are more liberals and people with no strong religious beliefs.

5. What is the difference between internal and external efficacy?

-In internal efficacy people believe they can take part in politics and in external efficacy people believe the government will respond to the citizenry.

Reading Questions for Chapter Seven “Public Opinion”
1. What was the Founders’ attitude towards public opinion? Give examples of how we see that attitude reflected in how they wrote the Constitution.

-They did not want to create a government that would do what the people wanted. We see this because they created the Constitution 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.

2. Identify three problems in assessing public opinion.

1. Some people care more about certain issues than other people do.
2. On some issues opinions are pretty steady, while on others they tend to be more volatile.
3. On some issues the government seems largely in sync with popular views and statements while on other issues the government is very out of sync with the public.

3. The book gives four factors that affect political attitudes. Identify those four factors and summarize the conclusions about how those factors affect people’s political attitude.

• Family- Like if your parents are more democratic then you as their child would be more democratic.
• Religion- People tend to vote more for some one who is of the same religious background as them.
• Gender Gap- Women are more likely to vote for Democrats, while men are more likely to vote for Republicans.
• Schooling- People who were born during the baby boomer age were the ones who wen t to college and are therefore more educated about politics.

4. The book discusses the cleavages which may divide various demographic groups ideologically. The author give three factors that divide people’s political beliefs.

• Social Class- most people that belong to a higher social class vote differently than those of a lower class because they come from different professions

• Race and Ethnicity- there is no certain race or ethnicity that votes a specific way
• Religion-geographic regions affect political attitudes

5.

• Because of mass ideologies and liberal and conservatives elites. They affect them by changing people’s views.

6.

• Influence public opinion by first raising and framing political issues. Then, they state the norms by which issues should be settled.
• They can only affect what we as the public can see.

Review #1 Chapter 8
1.

• Because we do vote but the effect or the turnout is small

2.

• Congress passed the literacy test
• The result of this law is

3.

• Literacy Test- A requirement that citizens show that they can read before registering to vote
• Poll Tax-A requirement that citizens pay a tax in order to register to vote
• Grandfather Clause-A clause in registration laws allowing people who do not meet registration requirements to vote if they or their ancestors had voted before 1867
• White Primary-The practice of keeping blacks from voting in the southern states’ primaries through arbitrary use of registration requirements and intimidation

4.

• Good effects, more people are voting ever since these amendments were established

5.

• Because the voter eligibility population was low