Magleby chapter4 ppt

Editor's Notes

• #3: The growing economic disparity of the last three decades has given rise to a number of social movements, among them the Occupy Wall Street protest depicted here.
• #4: In this chapter we consider how our social and economic environment explains, or at least shapes, our opinions and prejudices. Have we managed to achieve unity despite our demographic diversity? We will consider that question as well.
• #7: Most other nations are more homogeneous than the United States. Most Japanese citizens, for example, are ethnically Japanese; they share a linguistic, cultural, and religious history. The United States, in contrast, is a nation of immigrants from all over the world. It’s also one of the largest, wealthiest, and most isolated countries. French visitor Alexis de Tocqueville coined the term American exceptionalism in 1831 to describe the uniqueness of the United States. American exceptionalism simply means that Americans see themselves as unique in the world because of their origins, history, national beliefs, and distinctive political and religious institutions. The term has come to convey a sense of moral superiority that is not always well-received in the rest of the world. It is often coupled with the American Dream in the political rhetoric of election campaigns. Activity: Ask students to outline the costs and benefits of immigration to the United States. How has immigration changed in the United States over time? If they oppose expanding immigration today, would they have held the same position 100 years ago? Why or why not?
• #8: “American exceptionalism” means that Americans see their nation as being different and special among the nations of the world. Can you answer this question about American exceptionalism?
• #9: America is the richest nation on earth, and the most ethnically diverse due to its history of immigration. Its origins and political history are unique.
• #10: At a critical stage in our nation’s development, the Atlantic Ocean served as a barrier against European powers whose territorial ambitions threatened the new nation. As the nation grew to stretch to the opposite coast, its shear size and the resources at its disposal gave the United States unique advantages. That is not to say that the U.S. has never fought foreign invaders. The War of 1812 is an example and, more recently, terrorists have been able to get around the country’s geographic buffer. The size of the United States has given the population space to spread out so that its considerable diversity could be absorbed with less conflict among groups. Natural resources have led to economic growth and prosperity. They have also created a sense of entitlement to take the land from its previous inhabitants, a notion known as manifest destiny.
• #11: We’ve just discussed manifest destiny. Try to answer this brief review question about the concept.
• #12: Manifest destiny is a theory that justified using force to push westward and settle the continent from the Atlantic to the Pacific coasts.
• #13: Regional differences have political significance, as disparate living and working environments foster different kinds of political issues and concerns. The South has been a distinct region in the United States because of its agricultural base and its history of slavery and racism. Today, the region is Republican and conservative. The Midwest is another distinct region, whose once strong manufacturing economy has been in decline, and so is the West, with its large open spaces and much of its land under the control of the federal government. The people in America’s various regions live in communities that are classified as urban, suburban, and rural. Recently, the most significant migration in the United States has been from cities to suburbs. Today, many large U.S. cities are increasingly poor, African American, and Democratic, surrounded by suburbs that are primarily middle class, white, and Republican.
• #14: The South has stood out as a distinct region since colonial times. Its agricultural economy and dependence upon slave labor distinguished it from the more urban North, whose economy was driven more by commerce and manufacturing. Eleven southern states attempted to leave the Union during the Civil War, and the issue of racism gave the South a common political identity during Reconstruction and beyond. From the end of Reconstruction until the 1960s, the South was dominated by the Democratic Party and the North by the Republican Party. After the Democratic Party embraced civil rights, the South switched to the Republican party, which dominates the region to this day. As Americans migrate to southern states for the climate, the region is losing its distinct identity. The population of the so-called Sun Belt states of New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, southern California, and Florida is growing. This benefits the Republican Party as reapportionment gives these states more seats in the House. The Bible Belt states are known for wanting to end the separation of church and state. These are the former Confederate states plus Kentucky, Oklahoma, and West Virginia.
• #15: On March 7, 1965, police officers used clubs and tear gas against a group of civil rights demonstrators led by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., as they protested the denial of voting rights in Alabama. News reports of the police attack helped galvanize support for the 1965 Voting Rights Act.
• #16: The Rust Belt states in the Midwest comprise the former manufacturing sector. States with rusting vacant factories include Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and parts of Indiana and New York.
• #17: Like regions, states have distinct political cultures. Americans often identify with their state as well as their country, and state university teams or notable residents can foster a sense of state pride. Our election system is state-centered, with the Electoral College focusing presidential elections at the state level. Differing state laws also distinguish states from one another. One out of eight Americans lives in California, whose economic and political importance makes it unique among the 50 states.
• #18: Which states saw the greatest shifts in population, and how might you account for some of the changes?
• #19: Most Americans used to live in rural areas, the least densely populated areas, often associated with farming. Industrialization led to urbanization, as people migrated to the cities. Four out of five Americans now inhabit urban areas. The West and Northeast have the most urban areas, while the South and Midwest have the fewest. After urbanization came a trend toward suburbanization, or leaving the inner cities for the surrounding suburbs. This trend is sometimes known as white flight because it is mainly white residents who move to the suburbs in search of better schools and a safer environment in which to raise a family. White flight has made the population of urban areas increasingly poor, African American, and Democratic.
• #20: Populations have shifted over time. Can you answer this question about the American population of today?
• #21: Four out of five Americans now live in urban areas.
• #22: Race has been and remains among the most important of the differences in our political landscape. Although we fought a civil war over freedom for African Americans, racial equality remained elusive until the past fifty years. Ethnicity, especially the rising numbers of Hispanics, continues to be a factor in politics. The United States has many religious denominations, and these differences, including between those who are religious and those who are not, help explain public opinion and political behavior. Gender, sexual orientation, and family structures have become important in politics. Age and education are key to understanding political participation.
• #23: Race refers to physical characteristics and ethnicity refers to national origin, religion, and language. There is a lack of agreement on whether race is a biological distinction or a social distinction like ethnicity. Native Americans comprise only 0.2% of the U.S. population today. Many Native Americans live on reservations, most of which are plagued by poverty, although a few have generated revenue from casino gambling. Native Americans are U.S. citizens and their vote is significant in South Dakota and Alaska. African Americans are the one immigrant group that did not come here voluntarily. Even after slavery was abolished, African Americans continued to live predominantly in the South. Some migrated north but found that urban poverty replaced rural poverty. In recent years, African Americans have been returning to southern states and their representation in southern state legislatures is increasing. Hispanics are increasing in political importance, and they are also diverse. Cuban Americans tend to be Republicans, whereas Mexicans and Puerto Ricans tend to vote Democratic. Both parties court the Hispanic vote. Of course, noncitizen Hispanics cannot vote, nor can those under 18, so their voting power is not equal to their percentage of the population, which is highest in New York, Florida, and California. .
• #24: In 2009, Sonia Sotomayor became the first Hispanic and the third woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court. She was born in New York and is of Puerto Rican descent. She is seen here in her Bronx neighborhood after her Senate confirmation.
• #25: Like Hispanics, Asian Americans are a diverse group, hailing from different countries and speaking different languages. Asian Americans have a median income above the national average. There have been two major waves of immigration to the United States, from 1900 to 1924, and from 1991 to 2009. The first wave brought in 17.3 million people, primarily from Southern and Eastern Europe. The recent wave brought in 18.6 million people, mostly from Asia, Mexico, and the Caribbean. There may be at least 10 million additional immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally.
• #26: Globally, religious differences are often a source of violence. There is fighting between different religions, such as between Jews and Muslims, as well as fighting between different sects within the same religion, such as Shi’ite and Sunni Muslims. Sometimes members of one religion are persecuted on a large scale, as when the Nazi Holocaust killed 6 million Jews. The U.S. is founded on the premise of religious liberty. The framers did not sanction a church in the Constitution. But religion is extremely important in American politics. Religious views of political candidates can be an important issue in political campaigns, especially on social issues such as same-sex marriage and abortion. Religious groups, particularly fundamentalist Christians, have often been the driving force of political change. Fundamentalists are an important force in the Republican agenda. The United States is religiously diverse, but Protestants comprise over half the population.
• #27: Jews have the highest voter turnout of any religious group. Protestants tend to vote Republican and Jews and Catholics tend to vote Democratic, by slight margins. In what areas of public policy do we see religion playing a role? How important should religion be as a factor in making political decisions?
• #28: Women did not gain the right to vote nationally until 1920, although some states gave women the vote earlier. American women vote at lower rates than women in other Western democracies, but they do vote at higher rates than American men in presidential elections. There remains a large gender gap in representation, with only 5 out of 50 female governors out of 50, 20 female Senators out of 100, and 77 female member of the House out of 435. Women lean slightly Democratic in their voting habits in presidential elections. This may stem from women’s tendency to oppose violence and to care about issues related to the family, such as education, health care, maternity leave, and reproductive rights.
• #29: Women voted predominantly Democratic in 2012. What are some of the issues that may lead women to vote Democratic?
• #30: There is an enormous income gap between men and women. Women continue to be paid less for the same work, and the number of households with women as the sole breadwinner continues to rise, leading to more families living near or below the poverty line.
• #31: The gay rights movement began symbolically in 1969 when police raided a Greenwich Village bar called the Stonewall Inn, provoking riots. Since then, the gay and lesbian community has become more active in calling for equal legal rights. Although their percentage of the population is unknown, with estimates ranging from 2 to 10%, gays and lesbians are a political force in cities like San Francisco, and openly gay candidates have won elective office in several states. The political agenda for gays and lesbians has included obtaining the legal right to marry in all 50 states and overturning the military’s policy on discharging gay and lesbian soldiers who revealed their sexual orientation. This policy, known as “don’t ask, don’t tell,” ended in 2010, and nine states have legalized same-sex marriage so far.
• #32: Annise Parker became the mayor of Houston, Texas, in 2010. She is the first openly gay mayor of a city with more than 1 million people, as well as Houston’s second female mayor.
• #33: The traditional American family consisted of couples who married young, had children, and stayed together for life. Now, couples marry later or, increasingly, not at all. Birth rates have also fallen as more couples choose to have fewer children or none. About half of all marriages now end in divorce. Education is a key predictor of political participation. Education affects citizens’ awareness of issues and how likely they are to support democratic values. About 70% of Americans now graduate from high school, and about half finish college. These percentages have increased in the past twenty years, although minorities still lag far behind whites in educational attainment.
• #34: Based on the percentages of Americans who are high school graduates in each age bracket, what assumptions might you make about how the educational system and culture in America have changed?
• #35: The percentage of the population over the age of 65 is expected to increase every year. Americans over 65 currently comprise 13% of the population but account for more than 36% of medical expenditures. There are concerns about maintaining an adequate workforce as the birthrate declines.
• #36: How will the population 30 years from now compare to that of today? In what areas of politics and society might that difference have an impact?
• #37: Older Americans are more likely to vote and to be politically aware. Younger Americans voted at higher than usual rates in the presidential election in 2008 and 2012, but it remains to be seen if this is a trend. People’s political views alter as they age. Young people tend not to be concerned about the government or its services and tend to be relatively mobile. Middle-aged Americans are less mobile and so more likely to participate in politics. They also tend to grow more politically conservative. Finally, as people grow older and rely more on government services, they become more liberal again. Generational effects occur when a particular generation shares an experience, such as the Great Depression or the 9/11 terrorist attacks, that makes them politically distinct.
• #38: Based on the discussion so far, try to answer this question about the age group that is most likely to vote.
• #39: Older Americans vote in higher numbers than any other age group, with the result that politicians are more likely to cater to their policy concerns.
• #40: Throughout U.S. history one of the most important sources of political division has been the unequal distribution of income and wealth. This gap between the most affluent and the rest of society has grown in recent decades. It became the source of protest and conflict in the Occupy Wall Street movement and a major issue in the 2012 presidential election. In part due to the 2008 recession, poverty has grown, especially among African Americans, Native Americans, Hispanics, and single-parent households. Women still earn less than men.
• #41: Wealth is the total value of someone’s possessions. It is more concentrated than income. Wealthy individuals have property, stocks, and savings, which they may have inherited, in addition to income. Disparities of wealth and income are the main explanatory factor for political views. Rich people tend to be Republicans and poor people tend to be Democrats. Average income doubled between the 1950s and 1970s and poverty rates fell. Since then, income has grown for the wealthiest 1% but not for the middle class. Currently, about 14% of the population lives below the poverty line, and 21% of the poor are children. Members of minorities are much more likely to be poor than whites. Poor people are less likely to vote, which makes politicians less likely to address their needs. The poor tend to do better under Democratic administrations, and the wealthy under Republican ones. Each party has a different explanation for the growing disparity of wealth. Republicans tend to see economic success as a result of individual effort and poverty as a consequence of lack of talent or effort. Democrats tend to see structural issues, such as deregulation, impeding the poor from making a living.
• #42: In this photo, a child is tutored by a student through the America Reads program. Programs like these are designed to benefit financially disadvantaged children.
• #43: The poverty rate rose in 2008 due to high unemployment and a poor economy. What other factors could influence the percentage of Americans classified as living in poverty at any given time?
• #44: When the nation was founded, its economy was primarily based upon agriculture. As the U.S. became an industrialized nation, people moved from farms to cities. The GDP, that is, the total market value of goods and services produced, rose rapidly. However, the labor conditions in mines and factories created new political issues related to worker health and safety and child labor. Technological developments and outsourcing have led the U.S. into a postindustrial economy. In theory, a postindustrial economy should be more affluent and less stratified along class lines. The percentage of white-collar workers has grown in the past 50 years, and the percentage of the population engaged in agricultural work has dropped to 1%. About 9% of Americans work in blue-collar manufacturing jobs and nearly 15% are employed by the public sector.
• #45: During the 2012 campaign, the decline in the American manufacturing sector relative to other sectors was an issue. What other sectors in this graph exceed manufacturing? What is the largest sector? Why was the decline in manufacturing jobs an issue?
• #46: In Europe, political parties and conflicts have often been aligned along class lines. The Marxist revolutions of the early twentieth century were between the working-class proletariat, who provided the labor, and the bourgeoisie, who owned the means of production. The U.S. has social classes based on occupation, income, and education. Most Americans think of themselves as middle class, regardless of their income or occupation. Few choose to self identify as members of the upper class or lower class. Why do you think that is?
• #47: While plumbers may lack the social status and years of formal training of school teachers, they are often better paid. Why is there a difference between the pay and the social status of certain jobs?
• #48: Can you answer this question about the growth of income in the United States?
• #49: Income has grown 275% since the 1980s for the top 1% of the population.
• #50: This chapter has shown how diverse the American population is and how these differences have important political consequences. As diverse as Americans are, we are united by our shared commitment to democratic values, economic opportunity for all, a strong work ethic, and belief in the American dream. Education has helped instill these shared values, as have unifying events like World War II. Is America a melting pot where diverse immigrants assimilate, or is it more like a salad bowl, where each ingredient plays its part to enrich the whole? Activity: American national identity is based upon the values of the American political culture, which is characterized by respect for individualism, democracy, equality, liberty, private property, and freedom of religion. And yet, activists and protestors often use the American creed as the foundation for their criticisms of American government. Ask students what kinds of ideas they think are “un-American” and explain why they hold that belief.