Which of the following is the strongest predictor of participation in politics quizlet?

2) Schools: education remains the strongest predictor of political participation

-first formal lesson in civics education when you were taught to recite the Pledge of Allegiance, sing the Star Spangled Banner, and recognize key national landmarks.

-demonstrations of patriotism are necessary exercises designed to instill American norms and values into the nations' schoolchildren while creating a lifelong bond to the nation.

-This step is essential for the preservation of the state and is practiced in all countries

-schools tend to promote a president-centered view of American government.

-Effective/Influence is limited

-The president is a critical point of control for a child in the political socialization process, and a presidency-centered view of government lingers throughout adolescence

-the president-centered view focuses on government as an "all powerful" institution and suggests the authoritative role of the government. Second, while the schools will stress the importance of voting, very little attention is given to the role of an individual in a democracy

-most civics education does not involve the structure, institutions, and processes of national, state, and local government; rather, most of that instruction involves compliance with rules and authorities. "the school focuses on obligations and the right to vote but does not offer the child sufficient understanding of procedures open to individuals for legitimately influencing government. Nor does it adequately explain and emphasize the importance of group action to achieve desirable ends"

-Public schools tend to promote a duty-based model of citizenship that encourages conformity and adherence to social norms while promoting basic activities such as registering with a political party, voting in all elections, donating to campaigns, and joining civic groups

5)Communications Media: As the final agent of socialization, the communications media have taken on an increasing role in our lives both socially and politically, as the average American spends hours each day reading the newspaper, watching television, listening to the radio, and surfing the Internet.

-The hallmark of radio and television news reporting has always been simplicity and brevity

-Printed newspapers were once the main source of political news. This has shifted to online sources rather than printed versions

-Not only is the online, digital platform a convenient way to consume news, it can also be updated as events occur with instantaneous coverage and commentary. However, newspapers, magazines, and books are still the best place for in depth reading and analysis while internet sources tend to focus on simplicity and brevity in reporting.

-rise of 24-hour news stations further increased this influence by allowing for unlimited access to news.

-Despite the fact that the average American watches over three hours of television daily, individuals who depend on the general news media for their information are most likely to be uninformed about political matters

-as the cable news channels have become dominated by highly partisan, inflammatory commentary.

-The news commentators seek out viewers of the same ideological inclination, question the character of political rivals, and introduce panelists whose job (if they want to be invited back) is to entertain the viewers with overheated rhetoric.

-the bombast creates a highly agitated, alarmed public that is highly suspicious of anyone who is trying to craft bipartisan solutions to pressing national problems. Presidents are under continuous, withering attack, which weakens their ability to persuade other policymakers to cooperate.

-the Internet has further enhanced the media landscape by providing a truly customizable, 24-hour news experience

-Cable news and the internet redefined the news media by providing alternatives to the succinctness of network news. Gave control over delivery of news

-when alternatives increase, people have more choice, and their motivations for watching become more important in predicting their viewing behavior

-Cable news is most popular (36%). While other types of media have allowed for more variety in the news, cable news remains the primary source of political information for the majority of Americans

1) (The First Amendment) With respect to radio and television, the Federal Communications Commission had a "Fairness Doctrine," which required broadcasters to provide equal access for all issue positions

-Fairness Doctrine: this was abandoned in the 1980s, giving rise to broadcasters like Fox News and MSNBC that cater primarily to one side of the ideological spectrum

-Congress enacted the Communications Decency Act in 1996 to protect children from explicit Internet material. The Supreme Court struck down the law a year later as overly broad (Reno v. ACLU, 1997). the Child Online Protection Act, was similarly struck down by federal courts.

-political demonstrations blocked the passage of the proposed Protect IP Act (PIPA) and the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA).

-Public backlash against these potential restrictions indicates that public opinion clearly favors the limitations placed upon Congress by the first amendment.

2)This means that newspapers, radio, television, and the internet have broad leeway regarding the content of their products. The rule for readers, listeners, and viewers is caveat emptor—buyer beware.

-Government makes no certification as to the accuracy or reasonableness of the contents. Some readers, listeners, and viewers express concern for the accuracy, fairness, and objectivity of the news they receive.

-Media critics act as "watchdogs" to expose prejudicial news reports.

-nonpartisan website like factcheck.org was widely used during the last two presidential elections to moderate the tremendous amount of conflicting information found in all forms of media.

Political participation, when it works, benefits the entire citizenry as it creates support for the democratic system, the belief that participation and voting are essential to the democratic process, and approval of government policies and administration. When these attitudes do not materialize, political alienation has occurred, which is dangerous to the system

4 Types of Political Alienation:
1) Political powerlessness: Individuals with low political efficacy often feel separated from the government and limited in their ability to influence government actions.

2) Political meaninglessness: Individuals who believe there are no predictable patterns to political decision making and, therefore, no way to influence the political system, may give up.

3) Political normlessness (anomie): Individuals conclude that government and its officials are violating widely accepted norms leading to a breakdown of the political system

4) Political isolation: This occurs when an individual rejects current norms as "unfair and illegitimate," and, therefore, withdraws from political life

Political socialization is a particularly sensitive subject in relation to immigrants who may face conflicting values and emotions about becoming "American." Dennis (1968) describes "the function of political socialization" as the tendency of "political systems to perpetuate their cultures and structures through time. . . . [T]hey do this mainly by means of the socializing influences of the primary and secondary structures through which the young of the society pass in the process of maturity"

-Traditional assimilation theories have conveyed the belief that internalizing American norms is a critical component of the political socialization process for new immigrants.

-The absorption of the immigrant group into the American approaches usually draws upon one of two major paradigms: the assimilation school, in which acculturation to mainstream norms progresses in stages to complete integration (the 'melting pot' metaphor); and the cultural pluralist school, which argues that groups adopt American ways, but also retain some of their ethnic identity (the hyphenated American). Both paradigms assume that time eventually produces full assimilation and that equal opportunity laws will promote integration.

-assimilation can take place despite the intentions of immigrants to resist it. Assimilation can occur as the often unintended cumulative by-product of choices made by individuals seeking to take advantage of opportunities to improve their social situations

-assimilation caricatured is "a radical, unidirectional process of simplification: ethnic minorities shed themselves of all that makes them distinctive and become carbon copies of the ethnic majority. Ethnic groups "unlearn" their "inferior" cultural traits, in order to "successfully learn the new way of life necessary for full acceptance

-traditional assimilation theories assumed that individuals will accept their heritage to be inferior and to adopt the coveted American values. "inferiority is socially defined and not inherent"

-Assimilation theory has been widely accepted as an accurate representation of immigrant assimilation based on previous experiences with European immigrants.

-American society has changed in fundamental ways that make it less receptive to new immigrants than in earlier times. Hostility and discrimination against immigrants have always existed, but these forces were moderated by the American economy's need for immigrant workers.

-Public schools remain the primary agent of political socialization for immigrant schoolchildren. "The 'common school,' as the American public school was called, has been expected from the beginning to include common values." Responsibility of schools not only to educate but also to assist with the socialization process of minor immigrants

-The process of political socialization is more difficult for teenage arrivals as opposed to young arrivals or children born in immigrant households. "Age of arrival is critical."

-the common school's goal of assimilating children to a universal set of cultural meanings has come under renewed challenge, not only for neglecting the cultures of some religious groups but also for ignoring or suppressing children with primary languages other than English. One widespread response has been the adoption of 'multicultural' education. In its most typical form, such program do no more than acquaint all students with the diverse sources that contribute to American culture.

-Careful consideration must be given in order to ensure [that] non-English speaking students are not further alienated in an environment that is not supportive of the needs of minority students in general.

-Education is a political as well as a cultural process.

-Immigration remains a controversial subject in both American public policy and political socialization. While a deep partisan divide continues to delay meaningful immigration reform, it is imperative that public schools recognize the importance of proper political socialization for all children and greater society.

What are the factors that influence political participation quizlet?

Several factors explain political participation. They include socioeconomic status, levels of civic engagement, formal obstacles, and efforts by political institutions to mobilize people.
Public participation implies that the public's contribution will influence the decision. Public participation may be regarded as a form of empowerment and as vital part of democratic governance.

What is the most common form of political participation in a democracy quizlet?

Explanation: Voting is the most common form of political participation in the United State.

Which of the following is the strongest predictor of voting behavior among Americans quizlet?

Party identification is the strongest predictor of how a person will vote. Party loyalists are likely to vote for all of their party's candidates in any election. This tendency has decreased recently as more people identify themselves as independents with no party affiliation.