Difference between revisions of "Social Structural Theories of Voting"
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partisan identification | partisan identification | ||
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| + | Network Theory: | ||
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| + | Who you are connected to, who you discuss politics with-- | ||
| + | Micro level (how individuals interact); Macro level would be something like "How does the middle class vote?"-- | ||
| + | Individuals weigh information they receive-- | ||
| + | Social groups are not together all the time-- | ||
| + | Strong ties vs. weak ties-- | ||
| + | Strong ties include marriage, children, friends (close and acquaintances)-- | ||
| + | Weak ties include how you might influence someone you do not know through another person | ||
| + | (Example: If person A is married to person B and person B works with person C, even though person A has never met person C, they influence one another through person B.)-- | ||
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| + | Chain of influences diminish quickly-- | ||
| + | More influence over disagreements than though agreements | ||
Revision as of 12:52, 9 October 2008
This lecture was given in PS 240 on 9/26 and continued on 9/29 briefly.
Possible Exam Questions
1. List and describe the connections between voting and social predictors. 2. Explain dealignment / realignment, and list three realigning elections in the United States.
Lecture Material
We covered...
Social context - Origins of our beliefs, etc. - instilled in us - our attitudes and the attitudes of others.
Politics - parties activate class identity, religious identity - based on how much support they gain.
Connections between voting and social predictors 1. socio-economic 2. religion 3. ethnicity
Three fundamental processes by which associations are formed 1. Differentiation - look at a group (group B)and see that they are different than us. Since we do not believe that way, we must be something else (group A). 2. Transmission - attention transmitted through authority figure to child (through friends, teachers, etc.) 3. Contact - direct contact with other members of the social group.
Challenges:
Dealignment / Realignment (shifts or dramatic changes in political alignments)
Realigning elections in United States history 1800 — Thomas Jefferson - Democratic-Republican Party (from the Federalist Party) 1828 — Andrew Jackson - Democratic Party 1860 — Abraham Lincoln - Republican Party 1896 — William McKinley - Republican Party (marked the beginning of the Progressive Era) 1932 — Franklin Delano Roosevelt - Democrat (New Deal) 1964 - Lyndon B. Johnson - Democratic 1968 — Richard Nixon - Republican 1980 — Ronald Reagan - Republican
Reasons for realignment: class weakens increase in education greater amount of contact outside of our groups secularization
Other challenges: New American Voter (from 1960's (published in 1970's)) Vote more on issues instead of party voters are sophisticated and more knowledgeable Class - service economy divide between public and private sector workers
post materialism
quality of life - environment, air quality, etc
partisan identification
Network Theory:
Who you are connected to, who you discuss politics with-- Micro level (how individuals interact); Macro level would be something like "How does the middle class vote?"-- Individuals weigh information they receive-- Social groups are not together all the time-- Strong ties vs. weak ties-- Strong ties include marriage, children, friends (close and acquaintances)-- Weak ties include how you might influence someone you do not know through another person (Example: If person A is married to person B and person B works with person C, even though person A has never met person C, they influence one another through person B.)--
Chain of influences diminish quickly-- More influence over disagreements than though agreements
