Chapter 10 Notes Flashcards
What is public policy?
the sum of government’s goals and actions made in response to public opinion
What political scientist has defined public opinion as “those opinions held by private persons which governments find it prudent to heed”?
V. O. Key
What are two noteworthy characteristics about public opinion?
- government does not gauge public opinion simply by determining the opinions of the average American.
- some issues, such as abortion, education reform, and capital punishment retain public interest for decades.
Who was the first to use the word liberal to describe policies that expanded the power and responsibilities of the federal government?
Franklin D. Roosevelt
What is laissez faire?
the idea that government should not regulate the economy
Some citizens and politicians prefer to call themselves _________ rather than categorize themselves as liberals or conservatives.
moderates
What kind of approach do people prefer approach to politics rather than any firm ideology?
“whatever works”
What is the difference of domestic and foreign policy?
Domestic policy frequently involves economics, law, education, health, energy, environment, and civil liberties.
Foreign policy includes diplomacy, trade relations, and war.
How are issues like a highway?
Issues can enter or exit the process at various stages, travel at different speeds, and stay for different lengths of time.
What are the different types of public policy?
Issue identification
agenda setting
policy formation
implementation and formation
How does an issue become public policy?
- it affects a sizable portion of the public (pervasive),
- it has a significant impact on the public (intensive)
- the public sees the issue as a problem government should deal with (relative)
A Christian’s ultimate hope should rest in where?
the Lord
What is the next phase called when the government forms a response to the problem?
policy formation
What does not answer to the people directly through elections?
the judiciary
What are the Origins of Opinion?
family, peers, events, institutions, and Christ
T/F Churches have lost much of their influence in the modern world.
True
Among the first practitioners of scientific polling was who?
George Gallup
Why was the Literary Digest poll so inaccurate?
- The Digest’s mistake was preparing the mailing list from telephone listings and automobile registrations.
- Large numbers of Americans did not have a telphone or car
What are interest groups and what is another name for them?
to influence government officials about some political issue or group of issues. Also called pressure groups.
T/F interest groups are not political parties
True
ESSAY
List and discuss the five of Interest Groups and give an example.
Economic: AFL-CIO, the largest labor union
Social: American Association of Retired Persons (AARP)
Single-Interest Groups: National Right-to-Life Committee
Religious and Ideological: Christian Coalition
Civic Groups: League of Women Voters
What is lobbying?
the attempt to influence public officials in support of a special interest
What are some forms of protest that may also serve as an advantageous strategy for some interest groups?
Organizing picket lines
sit-ins
marches
Example: Environmentalists engage in sit-ins high up in trees to prevent loggers from cutting the trees down.
What is amicus curiae and what does it refer to?
friend of the court
While not a party in the case, the amicus curiae may testify or file briefs in an attempt to influence the court’s decision.
What are the major forms of mass media?
radio, television, newspapers, magazines, and the Internet.
What became the first national paper?
the “New York Tribune”
T/F the television was introduced at New York City’s World’s Fair in 1939, not until after World War II did improvements in technology and a rise in household income make television commercially viable.
True
What is the network’s major goal?
to provide the public with coverage of House and Senate proceedings “without editing, commentary or analysis.”
C-SPAN
T/F The Internet is an international computer network originally developed by the U.S. Department of Defense as a means of decentralizing information.
True
What guarantees freedom of the press?
The First Amendment
What is prior restraint?
the government cannot review and censor information before it is presented to the public
the media enjoys some degree of legal protection of confidentiality through shield laws.
* In states with no shield law, reporters who refuse to divulge their source may be jailed for contempt of court.
P
Name two exemptions to the media’s freedom under the First Amendment.
Laws against libel and slander.
What is the difference between libel and slander?
Libel: published false statements that injure one’s reputation
Slander: oral communication that does the same
What was the result of New York Times v. Sullivan (1964)?
Falsehood is given constitutional protection unless a public figure can demonstrate that the source of the libel has acted in reckless disregard of the truth.
Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Although the FCC does not decide broadcast content, it can impose fines on stations for broadcasting obscene language or false advertising.
P
What is propaganda?
simply using various techniques to select and manipulate information so as to persuade or influence people effectively
T/F Propaganda may be true and may influence people for good ends.
True
List the propaganda techniques. (The test gives examples)
- Name calling: calling an opponent by a name with a negative connotation such as “ultraconservative,” “leftwing,” “radical,” or “far right” without explanation
- Plain folks: creating the image of a common person (instead of an aloof politician), using slogans such as “friend of the common man” and “one of us,” and appearing with factory workers, farmers, and other “average Americans”
- Bandwagon: attempting to persuade people to follow a crowd by insisting that “everyone else is voting for this candidate,” often implying that there is something wrong with those who do not “jump on the bandwagon”
- Testimonial: using the endorsements of celebrities to create the idea that important people are going to vote for a certain candidate
- Card stacking: using selective data from polls, government reports, and other sources to support one side of an issue while disregarding information to the contrary
- Glittering generalities: making broad statements that sound good but lack substance, such as “My party stands for peace and prosperity” or “We will fight poverty”
- Transfer: identifying with a symbol such as the Statue of Liberty or the American flag in an attempt to transfer the widespread admiration for such objects to the candidate
ESSAY
Explain the differences between liberals and conservatives.
Franklin Roosevelt used the word liberal to describe policies that expanded the power and responsibilities of the federal government. Since then, liberalism has generally referred to policies that favor government action while conservatism has referred to a reluctance to expand government authority. P. 205
ESSAY
Discuss the ways of political campaigns use the mass media.
Newspapers: articles, ads, photographs Radio: broadcast advertising Television: news coverage, advertising debates Internet: fundraising information P. 217-224
