Whites are less likely to favor strong government measures to reduce racial inequalities, especially affirmative action. African Americans are more likely to see the persistence of discriminatory practices and to favor measures to combat them. Gender frequently produces significant differences in public opinion. Women support policies that protect the more vulnerable members of society, like the homeless, the ill, the aged, and the young. They tend to accept higher levels of government expenditure for education, the environment, health care, and social welfare than most men do.
Religion also affects political beliefs.
The most visible impact of religion on ideology today is seen in the conservatism of white fundamentalist Protestants. United on many questions, Americans are divided by class, race, gender, and religion. These differences are persisting rather than proving prone to irrational shifts, with change occurring in a gradual manner. How Public Opinion Is Organized When elites succeed in managing public opinion, it becomes an echo rather than a voice. But when ordinary Americans have the information to draw conclusions and the time to engage in deliberations, public opinion fulfills the promise of popular democracy.