Teaching Ideas for Chapter 6:
Public Opinion and Political Action
Public opinion surveys consistently reveal an astounding lack of public knowledge about politics. Briefly discuss this finding in class, and assign chapter 6 for class discussion. On the following class day, ask your students to discuss whether the American political system is affected by such a low level of public information. They should be able to render a reasonable analysis based on the content of this chapter.
The textbook points out that the diversity of the American public and its opinions must be faithfully channeled through the political process in order for the American government to work efficiently and effectively. At the same time, the least informed among the public are also the least likely to participate in the political process. Ask your class to evaluate the effect that this inequality of participation has on the democratic process.
The textbook points out that the elderly now exercise "gray power." In Florida, the state's senior citizens typically vote against referenda for school taxes, and they have secured tax breaks and service benefits for older people. Ask your class to think about the potential for divisiveness between the aged (who have been promised benefits that they expect to collect) and younger workers (who may resent "gray power" votes that deny benefits to their children).
Select a controversial topic (such as flag burning). Call for each student to devise a survey to measure attitudes on this issue and administer it to a group of friends. Their surveys will not be representative, so they should obtain very different results. Use the results to discuss the problems that may arise with improperly administered surveys, particularly if the public relies on the results.
Table 6.2 tells How to Tell a Liberal from a Conservative. Before assigning the chapter to be read, have students write down whether they are strongly conservative, conservative, weakly conservative, moderate, weakly liberal, liberal, or strongly liberal. Then devise a point system based on the criteria in Table 6.2 and have students rank themselves on each criteria. After adding up their criteria points, have students discuss whether their numerical score might differ from their self-identification.
The authors of the textbook point out that more people today think the government is too big rather than too small, yet a plurality has consistently called for increased spending on domestic programs. Many political scientists have looked at these contradictory findings and concluded that Americans are ideological conservatives but operational liberals. Ask your class to examine this theory with reference to public debate over President Clinton's budget proposals in 1993.
Have students visit the Internet site operated by Gallup, the National Election Study, or some other public opinion survey to find public opinion data on a question of interest. Have each student write up, or present orally in class, what the question wording was, the response distribution, and how to interpret the data.