Zachary Miller
Mrs. Abdul
AP Gov Essay
17 April 2019
Prompt: "Without common ideas, there is no common action, and without common action men still exist, but a social body does not. Thus in order that there be society, and all the more, that this society prosper, it is necessary that all the minds of the citizens always be brought together and held together by some principle ideas" Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America 1835
Essential Question: How do demographics, political culture, and dynamic social change shape citizen beliefs about government and how are those beliefs measured?
The United States' constituency could by arguably one of the most politically active constituency in the world. Aspects such as political culture, demographics, and dynamic social change drastically shape citizens' beliefs about government and polling is used to measure this change.
Political culture is possibly the largest contributor to American political ideology. Individualism, the equality of opportunity, and limited government are all founding principles that are embedded in the psyche of American from the moment of birth. Differences in beliefs about the scale of these principles and how they should be implemented result in political ideologies, generally referred to as the Liberal-Conservative Spectrum. Liberals today generally allow the government to expand beyond established restraints, while conservatives tend to favor less government and more individual freedom. While there is a right-left "spectrum", most Americans consider themselves somewhere in between as moderates. Political culture itself is sometimes established or changed through dynamic social change.
Dynamic social change can be considered political movements that result in an ideological shift. The most obvious dynamic social change was the American Revolution and the ideas emerging from the found era. Jefferson believed in a high degree of liberty from the government, saying that a government that governs best governs least. Free flow of ideas, free markets, and fewer restrictions were revolutionary ideas in the 1700's. One of the other major social changes was The Progressive Era. During this time in the 19th century, reformers challenged government corruption that ran against founding values. This movement effectively split the Republican Party: conservative and progressive. Reformers, such as Theodore Roosevelt, criticized power that had been firmly established. This movement paved the way for FDR's New Deal, a new and revolutionary plan that expanded the federal government during The Great Depression. Dynamic social change can lead to drastic demographic change.
Demographics are the statistical data relating to the population and particular groups within it. Typically factors like family, education, peers, and media affect voting, as well as social environments. For example, Evangelicals in the South and Midwest generally vote Republican, while Jews tend to vote Democratic. Location is another major factor in demographics; the most obvious example is the heavily Democratic South directly after the Civil War. Currently, Democrats tend to dominate the Northeast, while the South tends to be more Republican then the Northeast and West. Major political events also tend to shift demographics, as 9/11 caused a massive increase in approval rating of George W. Bush. Age is also a large factor in determining political ideology. The younger Millennials are typically more liberal than the now retired Silent Generation, which was more influenced by the Judeo-Christian moral codes and patriotism. Demographics are acquired through polling and data collection.
Polling is the most reliable way to assess public opinion. A small, reliable group is used to find out what the general population thinks. Benchmark polls, tracking polls, entrance and exit polls, and approval ratings are all methods pollsters use to try to predict the outcome of elections. Polling can sometimes influence public debate, most notably in the House of Representatives, where lawmakers face re-election every two years. Unfortunately, despite many pollsters best efforts to develop objective and fair polls, interest groups will occasionally fund studies that deliberately skew results. This data is used to push agendas, so it is important for all citizens to know methods, wording, and context of polls in order to accurately develop their political opinions.
Zachary Miller is a senior at Christian Central Academy. Zachary will attend Hilbert College in the fall.
Mrs. Abdul
AP Gov Essay
17 April 2019
Prompt: "Without common ideas, there is no common action, and without common action men still exist, but a social body does not. Thus in order that there be society, and all the more, that this society prosper, it is necessary that all the minds of the citizens always be brought together and held together by some principle ideas" Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America 1835
Essential Question: How do demographics, political culture, and dynamic social change shape citizen beliefs about government and how are those beliefs measured?
The United States' constituency could by arguably one of the most politically active constituency in the world. Aspects such as political culture, demographics, and dynamic social change drastically shape citizens' beliefs about government and polling is used to measure this change.
Political culture is possibly the largest contributor to American political ideology. Individualism, the equality of opportunity, and limited government are all founding principles that are embedded in the psyche of American from the moment of birth. Differences in beliefs about the scale of these principles and how they should be implemented result in political ideologies, generally referred to as the Liberal-Conservative Spectrum. Liberals today generally allow the government to expand beyond established restraints, while conservatives tend to favor less government and more individual freedom. While there is a right-left "spectrum", most Americans consider themselves somewhere in between as moderates. Political culture itself is sometimes established or changed through dynamic social change.
Dynamic social change can be considered political movements that result in an ideological shift. The most obvious dynamic social change was the American Revolution and the ideas emerging from the found era. Jefferson believed in a high degree of liberty from the government, saying that a government that governs best governs least. Free flow of ideas, free markets, and fewer restrictions were revolutionary ideas in the 1700's. One of the other major social changes was The Progressive Era. During this time in the 19th century, reformers challenged government corruption that ran against founding values. This movement effectively split the Republican Party: conservative and progressive. Reformers, such as Theodore Roosevelt, criticized power that had been firmly established. This movement paved the way for FDR's New Deal, a new and revolutionary plan that expanded the federal government during The Great Depression. Dynamic social change can lead to drastic demographic change.
Demographics are the statistical data relating to the population and particular groups within it. Typically factors like family, education, peers, and media affect voting, as well as social environments. For example, Evangelicals in the South and Midwest generally vote Republican, while Jews tend to vote Democratic. Location is another major factor in demographics; the most obvious example is the heavily Democratic South directly after the Civil War. Currently, Democrats tend to dominate the Northeast, while the South tends to be more Republican then the Northeast and West. Major political events also tend to shift demographics, as 9/11 caused a massive increase in approval rating of George W. Bush. Age is also a large factor in determining political ideology. The younger Millennials are typically more liberal than the now retired Silent Generation, which was more influenced by the Judeo-Christian moral codes and patriotism. Demographics are acquired through polling and data collection.
Polling is the most reliable way to assess public opinion. A small, reliable group is used to find out what the general population thinks. Benchmark polls, tracking polls, entrance and exit polls, and approval ratings are all methods pollsters use to try to predict the outcome of elections. Polling can sometimes influence public debate, most notably in the House of Representatives, where lawmakers face re-election every two years. Unfortunately, despite many pollsters best efforts to develop objective and fair polls, interest groups will occasionally fund studies that deliberately skew results. This data is used to push agendas, so it is important for all citizens to know methods, wording, and context of polls in order to accurately develop their political opinions.
Zachary Miller is a senior at Christian Central Academy. Zachary will attend Hilbert College in the fall.
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