Political scientists often investigate when and why changes in ideology occur and how they affect our views on government. In recent years, the Republican-controlled Texas Legislature has been focused on regaining power for cities and counties, which are usually led by Democrats. Cindy Siegel, President of the Harris County Republican Party, praised the passage of the bills in a statement on Monday night. It is clear that political ideology, race, and ethnicity play a major role in determining people's attitudes towards criminal justice and immigration issues.
Young adults who attended political protest rallies in the 1960s and 1970s were more likely to participate in politics than those who did not. Paul Bettencourt, a Republican from Houston, said that the Harris County election problems last year were the “genesis” of the proposals. Most citizens form their political opinions based on their beliefs and attitudes, which are developed through political socialization from an early age. Harris County was the last large county in Texas to create an election department and appoint an election administrator.
Presidents running for re-election must also perform well in public opinion polls, and being in office does not guarantee an advantage. Natalia Contreras covers election administration and voting access for Votebeat in partnership with The Texas Tribune. At the time, the Harris County Elections Department lacked a tracking system that larger counties would use to identify problems in real time, and for months it couldn't tell how many polling stations ran out of paper on Election Day or if anyone was prevented from voting. Democratic lawmakers from Harris County spoke out against the bill in the House of Representatives on Tuesday, saying that the laws were intended to “punish the county and take away local control”.
In a statement, Menefee said state legislators are using Harris County “to get cheap political points”. Clifford Tatum, Harris County Election Administrator, said in a statement to Votebeat that when the provision takes effect in September, 39 days will pass from the voter registration deadline and 52 days from the first day of early voting for a countywide election that includes the Houston mayoral race. The influence of political campaigns in Harris County, Texas on public opinion is undeniable. Political campaigns have long been used as a tool to shape public opinion by providing information about candidates and their policies. This is especially true in Harris County, where Republicans have been trying to regain power from Democrats for some time now.
Political Ideology, Race, and Ethnicity are all important factors that can influence people's views on criminal justice and immigration issues. For example, young adults who attended political protest rallies during the 1960s and 1970s were more likely to participate in politics than those who did not. This shows how powerful political campaigns can be when it comes to shaping public opinion.
Political Socialization
is another factor that can shape public opinion.This is when people form their beliefs and attitudes about politics from an early age through various sources such as family members, friends, media outlets, etc. This process can be further influenced by political campaigns as they provide information about candidates and their policies which can shape people's views on certain issues.
Public Opinion Polls
are also important when it comes to understanding how political campaigns influence public opinion. Presidents running for re-election must perform well in public opinion polls or risk losing their seat.This shows how powerful public opinion can be when it comes to influencing elections. In Harris County specifically, there have been several bills passed recently that have been aimed at taking away local control from Democrats and returning power to Republicans. This has caused tension between both parties as Democrats feel like they are being punished for their views while Republicans feel like they are being given back what is rightfully theirs. The most recent bill passed was Senate Bill 1750 which abolished the position of election administrator for Harris County — a non-partisan position appointed by local elected officials — and returned all electoral functions to the county clerk and tax assessor-tax collector. This bill was met with criticism from Democrats who felt like it was an attempt to punish them for their views while Republicans felt like it was necessary to ensure fair elections in Harris County. Overall, it is clear that political campaigns in Harris County have had a major influence on public opinion over the years.
Political ideology, race, ethnicity, political socialization, and public opinion polls all play a role in shaping people's views on certain issues which can then be further influenced by political campaigns. It is important to understand how these factors interact with each other so that we can better understand how political campaigns shape public opinion.
