Public Opinion Interactive Simulation.doc

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Public Opinion: Evaluating the Death Penalty

1. Open up the Internet.

2. Do a Google search for “Mr. Kennett’s Government Site” and open up Mr. Kennett’s class website.

3. Click on “Government” and then click on “Handout”.

4. Find the handout titled “Public Opinion Interactive Simulation” and click on “Download”

5. After the handout has opened in a word document click on the link:

http://www.cengage.com/cgi-wadsworth/course_products_wp.pl?fid=M20b&product_isbn_issn=0534173624&discipline_number=20

6. In the website that has opened up pull down the arrow and select Chapter 6- Public Opinion that appears under the heading “Democracy Under Pressure: 2002 Election Update” at the top of the web page.

7. Click on the heading iLrn Simulations on the left hand side of the web page

8. Work through the interactive simulation by reading the scenarios and making your choices and then explain your reasoning. When you are finished make your final selection and then answer the 5 Critical Thinking Questions at the end of the handout in the space provided.

The Context:

One of the key concepts in American government and politics is Public Opinion.

If representative government is to work properly, our elected leaders must be responsive to what the people want. This will be expressed in the form of public opinion. Of course, it is more complicated than merely allowing the will of the majority to determine every issue. It is questionable whether every important governmental decision should be made according to public opinion polls. In addition, there is some doubt as to whether public officials should merely reflect public opinion, or take a more active role in shaping public opinion.

The following simulation explores a situation in which public opinion and presidential preferences take different directions on a controversial issue.

The American people have grown disenchanted with and distrustful of the death penalty. Stories of innocent people being sentenced to death and botched executions have prompted a shift in public opinion. A bill has been introduced in Congress that will abolish the death penalty for all federal crimes. A vote will be taken in Congress in a matter of weeks to determine whether this proposed ban on the death penalty will become law.

The Controversy:

While the President has frequently disagreed with the more liberal elements in his party and he has grown accustomed to their conflicts, it is troubling for the President that his views are different from so many Americans on an issue that is so important to him. The most recent public opinion polls show that the people favor the law to abolish the death penalty by a 60-40 margin. The President finds himself in a position of having to choose among difficult options: to follow the preference of the people and compromise his own beliefs or to stick with his position and risk alienating a significant part of the nation. Of course there is a third option: to try and change the position of the people.

The Players Bio:

Karla Ross- Democratic Party

 YOU are Karla Ross, adviser to a Democratic President, one of the more conservative members of the Democratic Party.

Russell Martin- President of the United States

 President Russell Martin is from the South and is a strong supporter of the death penalty. Even though there are many in his party who support the bill to abolish the death penalty for all federal crimes, he is intensely opposed to it.

Question #1- Public Opinion and Government Action

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How should the President respond to the public opposition to his position?

Option 1 Option 2

The President should defer to the will of the people, despite the fact that he doesn't believe in their position.

The President should remain true to his beliefs, despite the lack of support from the people.

Explain your reasoning:

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Questions #2- Making Public Opinion

If the President chooses to pursue the strategy of aggressively opposing the death penalty law, he needs to determine the most effective means of achieving his goals. It has been suggested to the President that the best way to have favorable public opinion is to create it. The following plan has been put forth.

The President will travel throughout the nation, stopping in areas that have endured horrific murders. The President will meet with the survivors of these murders. He will introduce these wives, husbands, children, and parents to audiences and they will tell their stories of loss.

The President will then conclude by telling those assembled, "Those left behind are also victims of crime. They are tormented with the loss of the future they dreamed, haunted by the memories of the life that was, and left to walk among the twisted pieces of a life that has been shattered by those who kill. I want to see justice done for the victims of these horrible crimes. And justice demands that those who kill in this fashion receive the ultimate punishment: death. Help me in my quest to achieve justice. Join me in opposing this bill. Join me in fighting the injustice that this bill represents."

Should the President use these strategies in an attempt to shape public opinion in a manner that will support his position?

Option 1 Option 2

It would be monstrous for the President to use these

tragedies to build opposition to this bill. The President is simply using historical reality to help people realize that the bill is a bad idea.

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Question #3- The Answer Depends on the Question Asked

It is true that public opinion polls have indicated an opposition to the death penalty. However, a number of presidential advisers believe that these polls were slanted in favor of an anti-death penalty response. The questions in these polls emphasized the possibility of police and prosecutorial misconduct, the incompetence of prejudiced juries, and the innocent being unjustly sentenced to death. After this foundation had been provided, those participating in the polls were then asked their opinion of the death penalty.

Some advisers want the President to authorize the conducting of a new set of polls. This polling will present the public with a separate set of questions, including the following:

 If DNA testing proves conclusively that an individual committed a murder, would you be more likely to support the imposition of the death penalty?

 If an individual kidnaps, rapes, tortures, and mutilates his victim, would you be more likely to support the imposition of the death penalty?

 If an individual kills a victim who was only six years old, would you be more likely to support the imposition of the death penalty?

 If an individual commits a crime that causes the death of thousands of people, would you be more likely to support the death penalty?

 Would you support the abolition of the death penalty, regardless of the severity of the crime committed?

These questions are designed to push those responding to the poll in the direction of supporting the death penalty. Once conducted, these polls would be released to show a growing public support of the death penalty. Hopefully these results would sway those who are undecided, or at least less than absolute in their opposition to the death penalty.

Should a poll be designed and conducted that will produce the pro-death penalty results desired by the Administration?

Option 1 Option 2

Such a move would be a cynical misrepresentation of what the people truly believe.

Such a move is a necessary response to the slanted polls that have been produced by the other side.

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What Will You Do?

It is now time to make your decision. How will you advise the President to

approach the anti-death penalty law?

Option 1:

The President should defer to public opinion on the death penalty and allow the bill to become law.

You have chosen an option that captures the essence of representative democracy. The people have spoken on this issue, their elected legislators have responded, and public opinion will be turned into public policy. Although the President has a very different perspective on the question, our system does not allow him to substitute his judgment for that of the people. The people are not clay to be molded by their elected leaders. The genius of our system, and the thing that separates our nation from so many others, is that the people play such a prominent role in determining the direction of the policies that our government pursues. This fact does not become less true when the issue is one as controversial as the death penalty. It becomes even more true.

Option 2:

The President should carefully present his positions while maintaining a respect for public opinion on the death penalty. Ultimately, if he is not successful in convincing the people, he should allow the bill to become law.

You have chosen an option that recognizes the significance of public opinion while allowing the President to put forth his dissenting view. It is an option that recognizes that while the President may take a position that differs from prevailing opinion, ultimately the views of the public should be preeminent. Certainly the President can articulate the reasons for his support of the death penalty. However, he should do so in a manner that constitutes the exchange of ideas, rather than attempt to play on the emotions of the people. The death penalty is an incredibly emotional issue. A true leader has no place in fanning the flames of emotionalism. If polls are to be used, they should be conducted in a manner that is fair and objective. The polls should record the true beliefs of the people, not attempt to manufacture those beliefs. The President should not compromise his principles, and certainly he should do his best to persuade the people as to the wisdom of his position. However, if he cannot do so within the realm of acceptable practice, then he should defer to the will of the people.

Option 3:

The President should do anything he can to shape public opinion in a manner that supports his position on the death penalty

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Critical Thinking Follow Up Questions…

1. After doing this simulation, how do you view elected leaders who attempt to shape public opinion to support their positions? Is this leadership or manipulation?

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2. Are there certain issues that should be beyond the realm of public opinion? Are there questions for which the average person would have no answer, matters that must be addressed by the experts alone? What is the appropriate relationship between leadership and public opinion?

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3. Are elected leaders ever justified in deliberately acting in disregard of public opinion? How would you react as a voter to a public official who made such a decision?

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4. Do you believe that the quality of government has improved with the advent of sophisticated techniques of public opinion polling?

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5. What do you think about elected leaders who make all of their decisions based only on the public opinion polls?

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