Political Science 1100, Introduction to American Politics, February 9,
2009
Civil Rights:
When Government Must Step in to Protect People
3).
Unanswered Question #3
Are African-American’s civil rights protected by the states?
How did we answer?
At first, by letting states decide (de jure segregation; "Jim Crow")
Plessy v. Ferguson,
1896 upheld Jim Crow laws
Then,
de jure segregation was defeated in the mid-twentieth century by
court decisions, social movements,
and new national laws
Brown
v. Board of Education (1954) rejects de jure segregation in schools
The Civil Rights Movement
The 1964 Civil Rights Act & The 1965 Voting Rights
Act
4). The
Civil Rights legacy
a). The Civil Rights agenda expands to de facto
segregation
- Housing (Fair Housing Laws)
- Schools (Busing)
- Jobs (Affirmative Action)
... and to other groups
- Gender: The Equal Rights Amendment
- Other Minorities: Hispanics
- Disability
- Gays
Civil
Liberties: What Problems Should Not Be Public?
1. Two
Positions on Civil Liberties
a) The
Absolutist Position (Hugo Black)
b) The
Balancing Position (Most Judges)
2. Free
Speech Against Security Threats
a) The Case
of Dennis v. U.S.
(1951)
-
"McCarthyism"
- The
Supreme Court Majority Opinion
- Hugo
Black's Opinion
3. The Right
to Privacy
The case of Griswold
v. Connecticut
(1965)
- The
Supreme Court Majority Opinion
- Hugo
Black's Opinion
Public
Opinion:
How Americans View Government and Politics
What is
political tolerance?
How tolerant
are students in PS 1100?
Public
Opinion:
How Americans View Government and Politics
1. How Do
You Find Out About Americans' Political Opinions?
a. The
Scientific Approach
Random Sampling
- The most careful way to select people to ask for opinions.
2. A
Consumer’s Guide to Well Conducted Polls
Pay attention to
a). The Margin of Error
b). Whether or not the Sample is Random
c).
The Wording of the Questions
d).
Interpreting the Results
3. What do
you find out when you ask Americans for their political opinions?
a.
Americans have limited knowledge of public affairs
b.
Americans' opinions are not always logically consistent
Example: Political Tolerance
c.
Americans' opinions can change, sometimes quickly
Example: Trust in Government
Public
Opinion:
How Americans View Government and Politics
1. How Do
You Find Out About Americans' Political Opinions?
a. Why the
Personal Approach Doesn't Work
b.
Random Sampling
- The most careful way to select people to ask for opinions.
2. A
Consumer’s Guide to Well Conducted Polls
Pay attention to
a). The Margin of Error
b). Whether or not the Sample is Random
c).
The Wording of the Questions
d).
Interpreting the Results
3. What do
you find out when you ask Americans for their political opinions?
a.
Americans have limited knowledge of public affairs
b.
Americans' opinions are not always logically consistent
Example: Political Tolerance
c.
Americans' opinions can change, sometimes quickly
Example: Trust in Government
1. How Do
You Find Out About Americans' Political Opinions?
a. Why the
Personal Approach Doesn't Work
b.
Random Sampling
- The most careful way to select people to ask for opinions.
2. A
Consumer’s Guide to Well Conducted Polls
Pay attention to
a). The Margin of Error
b). Whether or not the Sample is Random
c).
The Wording of the Questions
d).
Interpreting the Results
Warning:
Listen
carefully for "Push Polls" that are trying to change your mind.
3. What do
you find out when you ask Americans for their political opinions?
a.
Americans have limited knowledge of public affairs
b.
Americans' opinions are not always logically consistent
Example: Political Tolerance
c.
Americans' opinions can change, sometimes quickly
Example: Trust in Government