Author Question: Jared is a high school student. He belongs to the student council and takes driver's education ... (Read 292 times)

cmoore54 · **on:** Jul 10, 2018

Jared is a high school student. He belongs to the student council and takes driver's education classes once a week at the motor club across town.

Which group is likely to have more of an impact on Jared's political opinions and values: his student council classmates or his driving-school classmates? Explain your reasoning.

Answer:

Question 2

Compare and contrast prospective issue voting with retrospective issue voting. Apply this to the 2012 presidential election.

Answer:

briseldagonzales · **Reply #1 on:** Jul 10, 2018

Answer to Question 1

An ideal response will:
1. Choose either the student council classmates or driving-school classmates as being the most influential agent of Jared's political socialization.
2. Explain why the selected agent is more influential.
3. Since the student council is more directly related to politics and is embedded in the learning environment of the school, it would appear to be the most influential agent.

Answer to Question 2

An ideal response will:
1. Describe prospective issue voting as voting based on what a candidate pledges to do in the future about an issue if elected.
2. Describe retrospective issue voting as holding incumbents, usually the president's party, responsible for their records on issues, such as the economy or foreign policy.
3. Observe that Romney tried to appeal to prospective issue voters by trying to sell his vision of America and his policies, while he also appealed to retrospective voters, saying Obama was a failure. Obama did the same, telling prospective voters he just needed another four years to turn it around; with retrospective voters he tried to both lay the blame on the GOP and stated Romney would gut social services.