Political socialization is a development process where individuals acquire political behavior and orientation in which acceptable norms of a political system is passed on from one generation to another. Political opinion of every individual is influenced by social factors such as religion, race and ethnicity, media, peers and family. These factors affect their political views throughout their lives.
Role of Religion in Political Socialization
Throughout the history, religion has been used by leaders as a projection for political ambition. This is based on the principle that a leader should set as a good example and behave in a way his people expect of him by following a strict pattern of moral and ethical code in order for his country to succeed. Religion plays a vital role in shaping the moral foundation of the people because being a Christian with good moral values and integrity will keep the peace and order in the society. It can help in addressing important issues and debates on domestic and foreign policies relating to nuclear weapons and terrorism. Some religious denominations focus on the welfare of the poor which can help on the issues concerning debt reduction and fiscal policy. Debates on abortion, same-sex marriage and issues on social justice on health care can be dealt with in accordance with religious traditions. While religion provides an explanation of the principles of humanity, science and technology can provide solutions to some of the global issues we are facing. Technology has provided solutions to our current environmental issues such as using alternative sources of energy to reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere that caused global warming. Thus, religion has lesser impact on science and technology.
Race and Ethnicity
Our society is consists of different races and ethnic backgrounds in which racial and minority issues are the common problems. The success of a political group relies on how it associates and socializes with the diversity of minorities in the country. People are drawn to groups whose views and values coordinate with their own. For example, the African-American and the Latinos identify themselves with the Democratic Party due to their liberal social principles associated with historical prejudice or poverty experiences while Asian-Americans identify with Republican Party for their support on the concept of Christian tradition and religion. Through surveys, consensus and administrative records of the social, demographic, health and economic characteristics of each minority groups, the federal government will determine the issues to be addressed and implement policies in the areas of employment, civil rights, housing and mortgage lending, healthcare and education services.
Public Opinion Polls
Public opinion is considered a powerful force in American politics. It has a significant influence on the government and works to enforce limit and directions on the official’s preferences. Public opinion is measured through election outcome, mass demonstrations or opinion polls. Opinion polls are based upon interviews of selected individuals that represent a much larger population. When properly conducted, it can provide exact information on the opinion of the public and indicate its strength and direction. However, polls can become invalid in many other ways such as poor construction of questions and misrepresentations which makes it often unreliable.
The Role of Media
Majority of what we’ve learned is coming from the media which affects every aspect of our lives. The importance of public opinion is visible in every newspapers and magazines in which the content includes news and public opinions, polls and questionnaire columns. On television, reports also include public opinions on particular issues and news. And on the Internet, public opinion is expressed through blogging and public forum. The role of media is to recognize the importance of public opinion while increasing people’s awareness on certain issues.
Interest Groups
Interest groups are private organizations consisting of individuals and organizations who share the same interests and working together to protect them with an objective to form a public policy with the aid of the government. They are called pressure groups or lobbyists aiming to influence public officials and legislators and the decisions or policies they constitute. These groups are categorized based on economic, occupational, ideological, public interest, foreign policy, ethnic, racial and religious. They are regarded as narrow-minded focusing only on self interest and are considered radicals of the society which poses danger to good governance and American politics. Despite of their negative image, Interest groups can be beneficial to the government by providing information related to policy-making, educating and circulating public opinion and attesting about legislation. Labor groups are examples of Interest groups which represent labor unions that work together to demand wage increase and benefits for both skilled and unskilled workers. When united, they can have a great impact on the economic and political status in the country. The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees as well as the United Food and Commercial Workers International are among the largest and most influential labor unions in the country. Aside from dealing wage and benefit issues with employers, Labor unions also play a significant role in politics by organizing voters and raising money for endorsed candidates who can help them in their fight for worker’s benefits. Labor unions are often associated with violence and terrorism thus putting the society in danger. Due to their labor strike activities, the disruption of public services often held the society and companies hostage. Labor unions could lead to low productivity or job loss resulting to higher rate of unemployment. When the price of labor is raised above the market rate, it could result to a loss of economic efficiency which could greatly affect the society. On the other hand, the society can also benefit from these labor unions. When workers achieve higher wages, motivation of workers increases thus increasing productivity that could mean economic boost for the country which leads to a better and sustainable society.
Political Parties vs. Interest Groups
Political parties and Interest groups are both organizations of individuals who shared common interests, views and attitude. They both have objectives to influence public policies and government officials. However, there are major differences between the two in terms of their functions. Political parties post representatives to join in the election and run for office while Interest groups do not present candidates for election but rather support or campaign candidates. Winning political parties rule the country and create laws and policies for the common good despite challenges from opposition parties and Interest groups while Interest groups make demands on the government, work for a specific interest and contest political parties by enforcing a policy or decision favorable for their own interests. Interest groups are loose organizations and their power depends on how they relate to the political and environmental government in which they operate. Political parties are closely-knit and are important elements in strengthening the country’s democracy. They have the power to unite the electorate by organizing voting choices and competition, consolidate the separate powers of government branches and transform public choices into policies.
Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform Act of 2002
In 2002, Mc Cain-Feingold Bill was introduced to the senate to make reforms in the campaign financing in the U.S. The Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform Act is a federal law amending the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 that governs the financing of political campaigns. Enacted on March 27, 2002, the act was created to address issues on soft money and advocacy ads. The Act prohibits committees on national political party from raising or spending any funds not subject to federal limits in relation to state and local elections. The law also prohibits advocacy ads naming a federal candidate within 60 days of the general election and paid ad from corporations and non-profit organizations using corporate or union treasury funds. Paid ads from other individuals or groups exceeding a specific point should disclose the sources of funds to prevent manipulation of voters into choosing or rejecting candidates. The Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform Act has radically changed the nature of campaign financing in America.
The ruling was a major advantage to wealthy interest groups and a challenge to reform advocates. Its primary impact lies on financing congressional elections relying mostly on huge individual contributions and reduces the expenses of political parties for congressional races. The act’s major provisions are associated with the role of money in politics in which the success of these changes in eliminating corruption remains to be seen. Despite of its efforts, political campaigns continue to be costly. The reform has been faced with defiance from corporations and interest groups stating that the law has not gone far enough to implement the ruling making the American public doubtful about the sincerity of cleaning up the federal elections. In the coming years, the need for further changes in the campaign finance system, the voting laws and registration and the economic and sociological environmental aspects of the election is crucial.
Changes in the American Elections
One of the major changes in the recent American elections is the willingness of Americans to embrace changes in the government in terms of civil rights. The government from older generation merely provided individual rights for them to exercise while the younger generation government not only provided individual rights but also the means to achieve them. The new media and technology have also contributed in these changes. During Barak Obama’s 2008 campaign, he utilized social media that produced excitement among younger voters. The new media provides more access to alternative views information and different visions on political issues. Nowadays, the press and the news media is often biased making it hard to find resources that presents fair arguments on both sides. The Internet plays a huge role in fundraising and campaign.
Through the candidate’s Web site, donors can directly contribute to the campaign by the convenience of a credit card. Mass e-mails and video links of campaign rallies are sent by members of the staff. Changes in religious approach to politics have also been visible. Today, faith or religious denominations have lesser impact on the electorate because Americans no longer consider religion as an important factor in addressing political issues. The media has played a significant role in changing the system of the American elections. However, due to its huge influence along with the liberal lifestyles of the younger generation, they lack the capacity to involve and evaluate political issues thus weakening the spirit of democracy in the country.
Works Cited:
Walsh, Colleen, “Religion and Politics, Now”, Harvard Gazette. October 12, 2012. Web. 18 April, 2013
