APIB - American Political Ideologies and Beliefs Topics Lesson

LO 4.1.A

Explain the relationship between core beliefs of U.S. citizens and attitudes about the role of government.

EK 4.1.A.1

Different interpretations of core values, including individualism (each person has the ability to shape their life and destiny through the choices they make), equality of opportunity (all people are given an equal chance to compete), free enterprise (the market determines prices, products, and services), and rule of law (every person, even those in power, must follow and is accountable to the same laws that govern all), affect the relationship between citizens and the federal government and that citizens have with each other.

Review the two videos below before moving forward in this module.

Video 1 - American Attitudes About Government and Politics by Carey LaManna

Video 2 - American Attitudes About Government and Politics by Heimler's History

LO 4.2.A

Explain how cultural factors influence political socialization.

EK 4.2.A.1

Political socialization refers to the process by which individuals develop political beliefs, values, opinions, and behaviors. Family, schools, peers, media, and social environments (including civic and religious organizations) contribute to the development of an individual’s political attitudes and values through the process of political socialization.

EK 4.2.A.2

U.S. political culture is defined by its democratic ideals, principles, and core values. As a result of globalization, U.S. political culture has both influenced and been influenced by the values of other countries.

Review the two videos below before moving forward in this module.

Video 1 - Political Socialization by Carey LaManna

Video 2 - Political Socialization by Heimler's History

LO 4.3.A

Explain how social factors impact political ideology.

EK 4.3.A.1

Generational effects (experiences shared by people of a common age) and life cycle effects (experiences a person encounters during different life stages) contribute to the development of a person’s political ideology.

Review the two videos below before moving forward in this module.

Video 1 - Changes in Ideology by Carey LaManna

Video 2 - Changes in Ideology by Heimler's History

LO 4.4.A

Explain how major political events influence political ideology.

EK 4.4.A.1

Major political events can influence the development of individual political attitudes, which is an example of political socialization. Political socialization, in turn, influences political ideology.

Review the two videos below before moving forward in this module.

Video 1 - Influence of Political Events on Ideology by Carey LaManna

Video 2 - Influence of Political Events on Ideology by Heimler's History

LO 4.5.A

Describe the elements of a scientific poll.

EK 4.5.A.1

Public opinion data that can affect elections and policy debates is influenced by different types of scientific polls such as:

1. Opinion polls (measuring public opinion on various issues)
2. Benchmark polls (creating baseline views of a candidate)
3. Tracking polls (following how views of a candidate change during a campaign)
4. Exit polls (collecting data on why people voted the way they did)

EK 4.5.A.2

Public opinion data that can affect elections and policy debates is influenced by polling methodology. Polling methodology is more precise when it includes:

1. Accurate sampling methods, including calculating a margin of error
2. Neutral framing of questions (specific and unbiased wording of questions)
3. Accurate reporting (clear reporting and conclusions that can be supported by the data)

Review the two videos below before moving forward in this module.

Video 1 - Measuring Public Opinion by Carey LaManna

Video 2 - Measuring Public Opinion by Heimler's History

LO 4.6.A

Explain the quality and credibility of claims based on public opinion data.

EK 4.6.A.1

The relationship between scientific polling and elections and policy debates is affected by the:

1. Importance of public opinion as a source of political influence in a given election or policy debate
2. Reliability and veracity of public opinion data

Review the video below before moving forward in this module.

Video 1 - Evaluating Public Opinion Data by Heimler's History

LO 4.7.A

Explain how ideologies of the two major parties shape policy debates.

EK 4.7.A.1

The Democratic Party (D or DEM) platforms generally align more closely to liberal ideological positions, and the Republican Party (R or GOP) platforms generally align more closely to conservative ideological positions.

Review the two videos below before moving forward in this module.

Video 1 - Ideologies of Political Parties by Carey LaManna

Video 2 - Ideologies of Political Parties by Heimler's History

LO 4.8.A

Explain how U.S. political culture (e.g., democratic ideals, principles, and core values) influences the formation, goals, and implementation of public policy over time.

EK 4.8.A.1

Because the U.S. is a democracy with a diverse society, public policies generated at any given time reflect the attitudes and beliefs of citizens who choose to participate in politics at that time.

EK 4.8.A.2

The balancing dynamic of individual liberty and government efforts to promote stability and order has been reflected in policy debates and their outcomes over time.

Review the video below before moving forward in this module.

Video 1 - Ideology and Policymaking by Heimler's History

LO 4.9.A

Explain how different political ideologies affect the role of government in regulating the marketplace.

LO 4.9.B

Explain how fiscal and monetary policy actions influence economic conditions.

EK 4.9.A.1

Liberal ideologies favor more governmental regulation of the marketplace, conservative ideologies favor fewer regulations, and libertarian ideologies favor little or no regulation of the marketplace beyond the protection of property rights and voluntary trade.

EK 4.9.B.1

Fiscal policy consists of actions taken by Congress and the president to influence economic conditions and includes Keynesian and supply-side positions.

EK 4.9.B.2

Monetary policy consists of actions taken by the Federal Reserve (the Fed) to influence interest rates which affect broader economic conditions. The Fed is an independent agency which seeks to achieve maximum employment and price stability.

Review the two videos below before moving forward in this module.

Video 1 - Ideology and Economic Policy by Carey LaManna

Video 2 - Ideology and Economic Policy by Heimler's History

LO 4.10.A

Explain how political ideologies vary on the role of the government in addressing social issues.

LO 4.10.B

Explain how different ideologies affect policy on social issues.

EK 4.10.A.1

Liberal ideologies generally favor more national government involvement to address some social issues such as education and public health, with less responsibility for these issues left to state governments.

EK 4.10.A.2

Conservative ideologies generally favor less national government involvement to address some social issues such as education and public health, with more responsibility for these issues left to state governments.

EK 4.10.A.3

Libertarian ideologies generally favor little national or state government involvement except when national or state government is protecting private property or individual liberty

EK 4.10.B.1

Policy trends concerning the level of government involvement in social issues reflect the success of conservative or liberal perspectives in political parties.

Review the two videos below before moving forward in this module.

Video 1 - Ideology and Social Policy by Carey LaManna

Video 2 - Ideology and Social Policy by Heimler's History

LO 5.1.A

Describe the voting rights protections in the Constitution and in legislation.

LO 5.1.B

Describe different models of voting behavior

EK 5.1.A.1

Expansion of opportunities for political participation are found in the legal protections of the Amendments to the Constitution.

1. The 14th Amendment granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the U.S., including formerly enslaved people.
2. The 15th Amendment granted African American men the right to vote.
3. The 17th Amendment changed the practice for electing Senators from a vote by state legislatures to a direct vote by the people.
4. The 19th Amendment granted women the right to vote.
5. The 24th Amendment eliminated poll taxes, a structural barrier to voting.
6. The 26th Amendment lowered the voting age to 18.

EK 5.1.B.1

Various political models explain differences in voting behavior.

1. Rational choice voting refers to individuals who base their decisions on what is perceived to be in their best interest.
2. Retrospective voting refers to individuals who decide whether the party or candidate in power should be reelected based on the recent past.
3. Prospective voting refers to individuals who vote based on predictions of how a party or candidate will perform in the future.
4. Straight ticket voting refers to individuals who vote for all of the candidates from one political party on a ballot.

Review the two videos below before moving forward in this module.

Video 1 - Voting Rights and Models of Voting Behavior by Carey LaManna

Video 2 - Voting Rights and Models of Voting Behavior by Heimler's History

LO 5.2.A

Explain the roles that individual choice and state laws play in voter turnout in elections.

EK 5.2.A.1

Structural barriers (such as polling hours, availability of absentee ballots, etc.), political efficacy (the belief that an individual’s participation in the political process will make a difference), and demographics can influence differences in voter turnout in the U.S.

EK 5.2.A.2

The following can influence voter turnout: i. Differences in state-controlled elections (the hours polls are open, Voter ID laws, variations in funding for polling places and workers, variations in types of voting allowed, such as voting by mail, absentee voting, and early voting) ii. Variations in voter registration laws and procedures (registering in-person, online, or automatically) iii. Election type (more turnout for presidential elections than midterm elections)

EK 5.2.A.3

Demographic characteristics and political efficacy or engagement are used to predict the likelihood of whether an individual will vote.

EK 5.2.A.4

Factors influencing voter choice include:

1. Party identification and ideological orientation
2. Candidate characteristics
3. Contemporary political issues
4. Religious beliefs or affiliation, age, gender, race and ethnicity, and other demographic characteristics

Review the two videos below before moving forward in this module.

Video 1 - Voter Turnout by Carey LaManna

Video 2 - Voter Turnout by Heimler's History