Section Warm-Up

Public opinion in a democracy should help to drive public policy. Our Constitution loudly proclaims We the People in its opening words. But who are we as Americans and how do we make our voices heard in our government?

Consider if the following statements are true or false:

As of the 2000 census, a majority of Americans were either African American, Hispanic, Asian, or Native American, meaning that the United States has become a "minority majority" nation.

False. In the 2000 census non-Hispanic white Americans made up just over 69 percent of the population. Estimates are that by the middle of the twenty-first century Whites will represent 48 percent of the population.

Federal law permits up to 3.5 million immigrants to be legally admitted to the US each year.

False. Today federal law allows up to 800,000 new immigrants to be legally admitted to the country every year. In recent years, illegal immigrants have outnumbered legal immigrants to the United States.

By 2040, there will be only two workers for every retiree, compared to the ratio of 42 workers for every retiree that existed in 1940.

True. This change is expected to put tremendous pressure on the Social Security system. Because workers have paid into this system and been promised benefits as a result, both political parties have treated Social Security benefits as sacrosanct.

Aging increases political participation, as well as strength of party attachment.

True. Because America is an aging society and young people are less likely to participate in the political process, how might this fact influence public policy decisions made by our elected officials.

Although voter turnout has declined recently, other forms of participation such as contributing money and contacting officials have actually increased.

True. We as a society consider voting the most important of political activities and while turn-out has declined, a broader outlook of other types of participation reveals positive developments.

As you work through this section, remember back to the first unit of this course where you examined what it means to be an American and discussed America’s political culture. This section takes a closer look at who we are as "We the People."