Discuss how class may shape people's political opinions and behavior.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

The ideal answer should include:
1. The term social class refers to a group's occupation and income, and the awareness it produces of their relations to other groups or classes in the society. In general, we can speak of three broad, overlapping categories: a working class, a middle class, and an upper class.
2. Although class identification in the United States is generally quite weak, how people see themselves in terms of class can influence their political attitudes and behavior. Studies have shown that people in the working class tend to be liberal, while those in the upper class favor the Republicans.
3. However, social issues complicate these patterns: While working-class voters are more liberal on economic matters, social issues tend to divide this group by race-nonwhites are more likely to support liberal positions on social issues, and white voters with less income and education tend to have more traditional attitudes, reflected in less acceptance of immigration, minority grievances, and LGBT rights. The upper classes are more conservative in their economic views and more liberal on a broad set of issues including civil rights and liberties, climate change, gun control, and immigration.
4. While class may not predict voting as well as it once did, studies by political scientists have revealed that government policymakers are more responsive to wealthy groups than they are to the poor.
5. Class differences in voting reflect differences in economic security. Studies have shown that nonvoters most often are from the less educated, nonwhite, rural, southern, poor, blue-collar, and very young segment of the American population.
6. Class differences in political socialization also have an effect. Children of working-class parents, perhaps because of poor education, grow up believing that they can have little influence on politics. Because of their disadvantaged reality, they tend to have a not-so-favorable image of political leaders and end up being both more resentful and more passive toward politics. Middle- and upper-class children have a higher regard for political leaders and are taught to value participation in politics. They are encouraged to participate and are led to believe that the political system will respond favorably to their involvement.
7. Because political leaders do in fact respond to the wealthy-because they are organized, financial contributors-people from the middle and working classes are likely to feel that the government is not listening to them.