HY 357 Lecture Notes - Lecture 24: Socalled, Traditionalist Conservatism, Franklin D. Roosevelt
6 Jun 2018
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Social Background and Political Values
The position an individual takes on an issue often reflects his or her place in society. Studies that
identify interviewees by income and education, religion, race or ethnicity, region, and gender
show that people who have the same social background usually share the same political ideas.
Income and education
Low-income Americans tend to endorse a stronger economic role for the federal
government than do wealthier Americans, particularly by supporting programs such as
welfare and increases in the minimum wage. This difference is to be expected because
wealthier Americans are the ones who mostly pay for such programs, and they naturally
want to hold down their tax burden. Nevertheless, even low-income Americans are less
likely to consider redistribution of wealth a valid governmental task than are adults
socialized in other industrialized countries (such as European nations). Americans
generally favor a limited government and emphasize the ability of everyone to succeed
through hard work. This belief in individual responsibility may overcome a worker's self-
interest in endorsing large social programs.
Race and ethnicity
Polls taken before and after the verdict in the O.J. Simpson criminal trial showed that an
overwhelming majority of African Americans believed that the former football star was
innocent, while whites felt he was guilty by a similar majority. These results reflect deep
differences between the two groups in their perceptions of the judicial system and the
role of the police in society.
Self-interest also plays a significant role in attitudes on racial policies. Racial and ethnic
minorities tend to favor affirmative actionprograms, designed to equalize income,
education, professional opportunity, and the receipt of government contracts. Because
such policies make it easier for members of minority groups, such as African Americans
and Hispanics, to get good jobs and become affluent, group members naturally support
them at a high rate. Supporters defend affirmative action as a way to eliminate ongoing
racial discrimination, make up for historical discrimination, and/or increase diversity in
businesses and institutions. Americans of European, Asian, or Middle Eastern descent,
by contrast, are much more likely to see such programs as reverse discrimination that
punishes them for their ethnic backgrounds. A similar pattern is seen in political party
affiliation. Beginning with the presidency of Franklin Roosevelt, African Americans
switched their allegiance from the Republicans, the "party of Lincoln," to the
Democrats.
Religion
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Document Summary
The position an individual takes on an issue often reflects his or her place in society. Studies that identify interviewees by income and education, religion, race or ethnicity, region, and gender show that people who have the same social background usually share the same political ideas. Low-income americans tend to endorse a stronger economic role for the federal government than do wealthier americans, particularly by supporting programs such as welfare and increases in the minimum wage. This difference is to be expected because wealthier americans are the ones who mostly pay for such programs, and they naturally want to hold down their tax burden. Nevertheless, even low-income americans are less likely to consider redistribution of wealth a valid governmental task than are adults socialized in other industrialized countries (such as european nations). Americans generally favor a limited government and emphasize the ability of everyone to succeed through hard work.
