192 PART Two • ThE PoliTiCs oF AmERiCAn DEmoCRACy
Socioeconomic Status
The value assigned to a
person due to occupation
or income. A professional
person with a substantial
income, for example, has
high socioeconomic status.Perception of the Candidates. The
image of the candidate seems to be impor-
tant in a voter’s choice, especially of a
president. To some extent, voter attitudes
toward candidates are based on emotions
(such as trust) rather than on any judg-
ment about experience or policy. In some
years, voters have been attracted to a can-
didate who appeared to share their con-
cerns and worries. In other years, voters
have sought a candidate who appeared to
have high integrity and honesty.issue Preferences. Issues make a dif-
ference in presidential and congressional
elections. Although personality or image
factors may be very persuasive, most vot-
ers have some notion of how the can-
didates differ on basic issues or at least
know which candidates want a change
in the direction of government policy.
Historically, economic concerns
have been among the most powerful
influences on public opinion. When the
economy is doing well, it is very difficult
for a challenger, especially at the presi-
dential level, to defeat the incumbent.
In contrast, inflation, unemployment, or
high interest rates are likely to work to the disadvantage of the incumbent.Demographic Characteristics
Demographic characteristics that influence political preferences include race, religion, edu-
cation, income and socioeconomic status, and similar traits. People who share the same
religion or any other demographic trait are likely to influence one another and may also
have common political concerns that follow from the common characteristic. We exam-
ined these factors in depth in Chapter 6, as part of the discussion of political socialization.
Demographic influences reflect an individual’s personal background and place in soci-
ety. Some factors have to do with the family into which a person was born: race and (for
most people) religion. Others may be the result in large part of choices made throughout
an individual’s life: place of residence, educational achievement, and profession.
Many of these factors are interrelated. People who have more education are likely to
have higher incomes and to hold professional jobs. Similarly, children born into wealthier
families are far more likely to complete college than children from poor families. A num-
ber of other interrelationships are not so immediately obvious. For example, many people
might not realize that 79 percent of African Americans report that religion is very impor-
tant in their lives, compared with only 56 percent of the total population.^16- The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, “A Religious Portrait of African-Americans,”
January 30, 2009.
College students buy a T-shirt during a Rock the Vote bus tour of the
University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Rock the Vote encourages young people
to register to vote and to become politically active. Why are young people often
less likely to vote? (Ann Hermes/Christian Science Monitor via Getty Images)Copyright 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s).
Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.