LO 3.A.1: Explain the core American beliefs, values, and norms that define the relationship between citizens and government and citizens with each other.
LO 3.A.2: Evaluate the influence of various factors in political attitudes and socialization.
LO 4.A.1: Evaluate the impact that public opinion and scientific polling have on elections and policy debates.
LO 3.C.1: Compare how political ideologies vary on the role of government in regulating the marketplace.
LO 3.A.3: Analyze the relationship between 21st century globalization and American political, social and cultural values.
LO 3.B.1: Analyze how political culture influences the formation, goals, and implementation of public policy.
Political culture influences the process of public policy making and implementation by influencing it with what the voices of the people call for.
Political culture influences the process of public policy making and implementation by influencing it with what the voices of the people call for.
LO 3.C.2: Compare how political ideologies vary with regard to the role of government in addressing social issues.
The two main political ideologies within America, liberalism and convervatism, both have their own respective feelings on government intervention within the social issue sphere. On one hand, liberals prefer to create and enforce their own choices, with the government having little to no interference; however, conservatives - although usually against government intervention - opt for a strong hold by the government in order for their wants and needs to be carried out. Liberals have demonstrated their desire to control decisions concerning social issues, such as with gay marriage and feminine reproductive rights, unlike conservatives, who have felt it best to leave such decisions to the government to regulate.
LO 4.D.1: Summarize the voting rights protections in the Constitution and in legislation.
Voting rights protections in the Constitution's Bill of Rights include the 15th, 19th, 24th, and 26th amendments. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was designed to allow all individuals despite race the right to vote equally. Such voting right protections together were meant to ensure that legal adults of age eighteen, all people of all races, and all individuals regardless of gender were able to vote and be protected to do so by proper protections and legislation.
LO 4.D.2: Analyze the roles that individual choice and state laws play in voter turnout in elections.
Often, states enforce voter ID laws in order to ensure that voters register properly. Often, individuals are uninspired to vote, feeling that the government is too corrupted or unresponsive to their desires, or that they have no time to register and go through the process, which ultimately leads individuals to make the choice not to vote, all of which has led to America's low voter turnout within the past few years. State registration laws have also made the choice to vote a harder one to make, considering many Americans do not want to spend the time, or have the time, to jump through hoops to vote. Although the Motor Voter law, or National Voter Registration Act of 1993, was implemented by the Clinton administration in order to encourage citizens to vote, its impacts were weakened by the fact that many states did not follow through on their part of enforcing the law. Because of this, voter turnout is still low.
LO 4.D.3: Analyze U.S. voter turnout and compare it with that in other democracies.
Although odd when compared to the other democracies of the world, America's lowest voter turnout is a result of our nation's youngest voters, from the ages of 18 to 23, who are found to be the least likely to vote. However, voter age is not the only factor affecting overall turnout; the type of election has been shown to affect it as well, with the primary, local, and off-year elections demonstrating lower voter turnout when compared to presidential elections. Through data and studies, it has been shown that wealthy, older white Americans are more likely to vote, with women voting more frequently overall compared to men.
LO 4.D.4: Explain the factors that influence voter choices.
Factors that influence voter choices include background, socioeconomic class, education, and party identification. Different voters of different background are bound to vote differently; individuals who were not brought up to be politically involved are most likely not going to vote as often or stay as informed as those who were. Those within a lower socioeconomic class are often left to vote differently than those within higher classes, considering their needs and wants differ - it may, for instance, be a wiser decision to vote for universal health care when they are struggling to obtain it on their own, than to vote for something such as tax breaks for the wealthy when they themselves are not wealthy. Education is also a big influence on voting behavior; the more education one receives, the more likely they will be to stay informed and vote accordingly. It can be expected that people will tend to vote along their party lines, following their party identification through their voting choices.
LO 4.D.5: Compare different models of voting behavior.
Different models of voting behavior include voting based on party affiliation in national elections, and voting for the individual most likely to make a change in their community in locally-based elections. Most voters vote in the national elections, with much fewer votes taking place in smaller elections, such as city and state elections.
The two main political ideologies within America, liberalism and convervatism, both have their own respective feelings on government intervention within the social issue sphere. On one hand, liberals prefer to create and enforce their own choices, with the government having little to no interference; however, conservatives - although usually against government intervention - opt for a strong hold by the government in order for their wants and needs to be carried out. Liberals have demonstrated their desire to control decisions concerning social issues, such as with gay marriage and feminine reproductive rights, unlike conservatives, who have felt it best to leave such decisions to the government to regulate.
LO 4.D.1: Summarize the voting rights protections in the Constitution and in legislation.
Voting rights protections in the Constitution's Bill of Rights include the 15th, 19th, 24th, and 26th amendments. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was designed to allow all individuals despite race the right to vote equally. Such voting right protections together were meant to ensure that legal adults of age eighteen, all people of all races, and all individuals regardless of gender were able to vote and be protected to do so by proper protections and legislation.
LO 4.D.2: Analyze the roles that individual choice and state laws play in voter turnout in elections.
Often, states enforce voter ID laws in order to ensure that voters register properly. Often, individuals are uninspired to vote, feeling that the government is too corrupted or unresponsive to their desires, or that they have no time to register and go through the process, which ultimately leads individuals to make the choice not to vote, all of which has led to America's low voter turnout within the past few years. State registration laws have also made the choice to vote a harder one to make, considering many Americans do not want to spend the time, or have the time, to jump through hoops to vote. Although the Motor Voter law, or National Voter Registration Act of 1993, was implemented by the Clinton administration in order to encourage citizens to vote, its impacts were weakened by the fact that many states did not follow through on their part of enforcing the law. Because of this, voter turnout is still low.
LO 4.D.3: Analyze U.S. voter turnout and compare it with that in other democracies.
Although odd when compared to the other democracies of the world, America's lowest voter turnout is a result of our nation's youngest voters, from the ages of 18 to 23, who are found to be the least likely to vote. However, voter age is not the only factor affecting overall turnout; the type of election has been shown to affect it as well, with the primary, local, and off-year elections demonstrating lower voter turnout when compared to presidential elections. Through data and studies, it has been shown that wealthy, older white Americans are more likely to vote, with women voting more frequently overall compared to men.
LO 4.D.4: Explain the factors that influence voter choices.
Factors that influence voter choices include background, socioeconomic class, education, and party identification. Different voters of different background are bound to vote differently; individuals who were not brought up to be politically involved are most likely not going to vote as often or stay as informed as those who were. Those within a lower socioeconomic class are often left to vote differently than those within higher classes, considering their needs and wants differ - it may, for instance, be a wiser decision to vote for universal health care when they are struggling to obtain it on their own, than to vote for something such as tax breaks for the wealthy when they themselves are not wealthy. Education is also a big influence on voting behavior; the more education one receives, the more likely they will be to stay informed and vote accordingly. It can be expected that people will tend to vote along their party lines, following their party identification through their voting choices.
LO 4.D.5: Compare different models of voting behavior.
Different models of voting behavior include voting based on party affiliation in national elections, and voting for the individual most likely to make a change in their community in locally-based elections. Most voters vote in the national elections, with much fewer votes taking place in smaller elections, such as city and state elections.