Lesson on Wednesday, January 10, 2018

Aim: What are the various roles played by public opinion in majoritarian and pluralist democracy?

Bell Ringer: Journal 27 - Do you think a random sample of individuals can really portray a representation of public opinion? (10 min)

Objectives:

5.1 Identify the various roles played by public opinion in majoritarian and pluralist democracy. 

5.2 Analyze the effect of skewed, bimodal, and normal distributions of opinion on public policy. 

Agenda: (slides 4-12)

1. Public Opinion on Death Penalty: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ka1B59ir1mI (5 min)

2. Brainstorming exercise: have students answer the following questions: (a) What is their first memory of a U.S. President? (b) What is the first time they remember disagreeing with someone about a political issue? (c) What have been the biggest influences on the development of their personal political beliefs? Use their responses as a way to enter into discussion of the major influences on political socialization. (10 min)

3. Pros and cons of public opinion polls: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubR8rEgSZSU (5 min)

4. Journal 28 - When no one really knows what the people want, how can the national government be responsive to public opinion? (10 min)

5. Public Opinion Crash Course: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJLDgb8m3K0 (10 min)

6. note: You must be able to describe the differences between the majoritarian and pluralist views on public opinion and polling. 

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7. note: Know the differences between skewed, bimodal, and normal distribution. 

Home Learning: 

1. Analyze page 118 and answer the Critical Thinking question at the bottom as Journal 29 - Should the U.S. be concerned about the company it keeps concerning capital punishment? What American values underlie public support for the death penalty in the United States? 

2. 12 Things You Should Know About Public Opinion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m46BLkiTmB0 (17 min)