Starter: Who is more ideologically extreme, the average American or the average American voter?

1.How accurate was your prediction?

2.How surprising is this information?

3.What is the big story these charts tell?

4.Why do you think ideologically extreme people tend to vote more than ideological moderates?

5.What is one consequence this information?

6.Explain whether this is good or bad news.

7.What effects do you imagine this information had on the 2016 election?

8.Is there any mechanism in the way Americans vote that helps amplify the extreme vote?

9.Explain why conservatives are more likely to vote than liberals.

10.Do the voting habits of people you know generally conform to the data from the chart?

11.Only about 1/4 of moderate Americans actually vote. Should moderate Americans vote?

As this is difficult to read, you can download this chart here.
Word of the Day: Ideological
  • Define it
  • Use an example
  • Think of someone you know who is ideological?
  • To what extent do you consider President Trump to be ideological?

Major U.S. Political Ideologies

Ideology (Government role in Economy, Government Role in Social Life)
Liberal (+,-)
Conservative (-,+)
Libertarian (-,-)

How Do We Vote?

2016 Exit Poll Data
Link: NY Times Also check previous election years to find trends over time.
Using demographic information above, your knowledge, and the Internet, predict how each of the following people will vote:
  1. I am a female Jewish lawyer who lives in New York City.
  2. I am a white male Protestant banker who lives in Charlotte, NC.
  3. I am a Latino male Catholic consultant who lives in Miami, FL.
  4. I am a black male agnostic teacher who lives in Las Vegas, NV.
  5. I am a white male entrepreneur from Jackson, MS who earns more than $250,000 a year.
  6. I am a white female waitress who lives in Cleveland, OH.
  7. I am a young Asian female engineer from Fairfax, VA.
  8. I am a retired black male Protestant police sergeant from Waco, TX.
  9. I am a white male rancher who lives in Cody, WY.
  10. I am a white pizza delivery high school dropout from Philadelphia, PA.
  11. Create the most strongly ideological person you can think of.

Political Ideology Tests

I Side With
Political Compass
Pew Research

Debrief

  1. What ideology/party did it pair you with?
  2. Is that what you expected?
  3. Will the results influence how you make political choices (i.e. voting, donations)?
  4. More people today think the government is too big rather than too small, identifying with the conservative position.  However, a plurality has consistently called for increased spending on domestic programs, identifying with the liberal position.  How do you account for this contradiction?
  5. Many political scientists have looked at these contradictory findings and concluded that Americans are ideological conservatives but operational liberals.  Examine this theory with reference to public debate over recent controversial issues such as health care, immigration, and foreign policy.

Closer: To what extent does ideology matter when it comes to your vote?

  • Make a claim here!
  • Support your claim with TWO pieces of accurate and relevant information.
  • Use reasoning to explain why your evidence supports your claim.
  • Respond to an opposing or alternative perspective.
Next class: Public Opinion Polls

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