Chapter 4.

1. Describe immigration policies. How did they change in the 1920s and 1960s.
2. How diverse are Americans in their ethnic backgrounds? Is diversity increasing?
3. What role have immigrants played in shaping political culture?
4. Describe the process of political socialization.
5. Describe the textbook’s claim that there is a consensus in the U.S. on the philosophy of "American individualism". What are the main components and foundations of that philosophy (or political culture)?
6. Are attitudes toward government in the U.S. different than in other countries?
7. It is puzzling that ethnic diversity coexists with ideological homogeneity. Explain it!
8. What is the difference between equality of opportunity and equality of condition? How does this effect American politics?

Chapter 5.

1. What are the elements of public opinion? That is, define: belief, attitude, ideology, and value.
2. How knowledgeable are Americans?
3. How can an uninformed public serve its purpose in a democracy?
4. How strong is ideology in the U.S. public?
5. How much "top to bottom" consistency is there in political attitudes?
6. What is the leading method by which public opinion is measured? What are the shortcomings of this technique?
7. What are the most pronounced variations in opinion among demographic groupings?
8. How well organized is the socialization process in the U.S.? How does it work?
9. Thinking about the section on abortion in the book, explain how it is possible for conflicting sides on an issue to site public opinion polls showing that Americans favor/oppose a policy.
10. Does the government seem to follow public opinion? Describe the findings of the Page & Shapiro study.

Ch. 6.

1. Describe the legal changes in the franchise during the last 2+ centuries (define suffrage too!).
2. How high is voter turnout? Why has voter turnout declined since 1890? (recall the graph during lecture that showed a drop following 1900 and another drop following 1960)
3. What is the rational choice theory of voter participation?
4. What are the costs and benefits of voting?
5. Make a list of the nonelectoral forms of political participation. Are they more or less likey to be used than electoral forms of participation?
6. What factors increase the chances that an individual will vote? What factors reduce it?
7. Is voter turnout "low". If so, is it a serious problem? Why? Why not?
8. What is "voter registration" and why is it important in understanding electoral participation in the United States? Have there been efforts to ease the registration process?

Ch 7: Interest groups

1. What kinds of interest groups are there? Describe the occupational/professional basis of the interest group sector
2. What is the "free-rider problem"? What is a selective-incentive? How are patrons important in the formation of organizations?
3. How do interest groups try to influence government? Make a list.
4. Describe lobbying and grassroots lobbying, explore their differences.
5. What is a PAC? Why do PACs favor incumbents?
6. What is a lobbyist? What lobbying strategies are most successful?
7. Is there a strong relationship between PAC donations and votes in Congress?
8. What is a subgovernment? What is an issue network?
9. What is the pluralist theory of American democracy? Does it convince you that groups are not harmful to American political system?
10. What are the major criticisms of "pluralism"?

Chapter 8. Political Parties

1. Warning: a party has a component that exists in the public, a part which is an organization of leaders and staffers, and a part which is active in government itself. Don't forget that. Please.
2. What beneficial roles do /could parties perform? How might parties be harmful?
3. What did the Progressives do to "reform" politics?
4. What is Duverger's Law? What is the importance of a single-member district in that regard?
5. How are national parties organized? Have they grown strongerlately? In membership or financial resources?
6. What is ticket-splitting?
7. If the U.S. changed to proportional representation, what would the likely effect on the 2 major parties be?
8. How did "soft money" strengthen U.S. party organizations? How did BCRA change that?

-- PaulJohnson - 04 Sep 2008

• Set ALLOWTOPICCHANGE = PaulJohnson, AmerPolsGroup