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By sunshinecavalluzzi
On November 20, 2018
Bell Ringer: Political Efficacy
"There are a Lot of Progressive Causes That Gave Rise to Modern Advocacy"
Historian and Author Joshua M. Zeitz discusses Wayne Wheeler, organizer for the Anti-Saloon League and "the first modern lobbyist," and the rise of political activism during the Progressive era.
Description
Political efficacy is defined as the sense of an individual citizen that he or she is capable of effecting desired change in public policy. Citizens with high levels of political efficacy are more likely to vote, join interest groups, engage in political action, and otherwise work to influence government elections, while citizens with low levels of political efficacy are less likely to participate in political and policy processes.
Bell Ringer Assignment
- What are some of the examples of Progressive-era political action cited by Joshua Zeitz? How do they reflect the concept of political efficacy?
- What does the Pew research data indicate about which groups presently have higher and lower levels of political efficacy? How does it do so?
- What is an example of modern political action reflecting high levels of efficacy that was not available to the Progressives?
- AP Gov- Questions to Consider: If efforts to increase political efficacy among young and/or minority voters are successful, what would the likely political ramifications be? Why might the demographic groups with high levels of voter turnout have higher senses of political efficacy than those groups less likely to vote? What challenges would exist in measuring efficacy via public opinion polling?
Additional Resources
Participants
Vocabulary
- Demographics
- Exit Polls
- Political Activism
- Political Efficacy
- Political Engagement