Chapter 10 Section Reviews All Flashcards
Define public policy and public opinion.
Public opinion is the views people hold on earning matters of public interest
Public policy is the government’s goals and actions made in response to public opinion
What are two noteworthy characteristics of public opinion?
Government does not gauge public opinion simply by determining the opinions of the average American
Some issues have lasting interest while others are short-lived.
What are the basic modern implications of the words liberal and conservative?
Liberalism usually implies a belief that more a government action in society is better
Conservatism usually implies a reluctance to expand government authority.
Describe the moderate ideological approach to politics.
Moderates take a pragmatic approach: what ever works is what should be done.
What are the two broad categories of public policy?
Domestic policy and Foreign policy
Identify the four stages of public policy development.
Identifying the issue
Setting the agenda
Formulating a policy
Implementation
What three factors usually make an issue a matter of public policy?
The issue must affect a large portion of the public
Must have a significant impact on the public
Must be a problem the public thinks the government should deal with
How are the executive and judicial branches of government involved in public policy?
The executive branch is involved in public policy through the State of the Union address, executive orders, treaties, and diplomatic agreements.
The judicial branch affects public policy through court decisions.
How does Romans 12:2 apply to the development of one’s opinions?
The “renewing” of the mind will transform a person’s ideas about public policy.
What are opinion polls?
Surveys of public thought on particular subjects.
Why is it important to have a representative sample for an opinion poll?
An unrepresentative sample will not yield reliable information about the target group.
Why is the wording of an opinion poll question significant?
Different wordings may lead people to make different responses, especially if the questions are vague or use terms with strong emotional connotations.
Why must politicians be wary of public opinion?
Politicians must be careful because public opinion may change quickly and may also be based on incorrect information.
What is an interest group? Give another name for an interest group.
A group of people who share a similar opinion about a political issue or group of issues and who unite in an organization to further their views.
Also called pressure groups.
List the five major kinds of interest groups and give examples of each.
- ) Economic: Chamber of Commerce
- ) Social: National Council on Disability
- ) Single-interest: NRA (National Rifle Association)
- ) Religious/ideological: Chrisitan Coalition
- ) Civic: League of Woman Voters
What interest group activities may be used to influence public policy?
Lobbying; public persuasions through the use of the media or direct mailings like protests and rallies, campaign involvement, especially through PACs; and court action.
What is an amicus curiae?
Friend of the court”
What are the major forms of media, and what is the term used to describe them all?
Newspaper, radio, television, and Interest; mass media.
What is the FOIA, and what rights does it give the media?
Freedom of Information Act; gives media broad power to investigate files of the federal bureaucracy.
In what ways can the media manipulate the information they relay to the public?
- By giving certain information more extensive or prominent coverage
- By omitting stores or information
- By choosing connotative words and pictures in their coverage
- By setting arbitrary expectations
In what ways do political candidates use the media?
- They try to project a good image before the media
- They try to gain as much media exposure as possible
- They try to use media appearances to diminish perceived negative opinions on the part of the voters.
What is propaganda?
The use of techniques to manipulate information in order to persuade or influence people.
