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AP GOV > Chapter 4: Public Opinion & Socialization > Flashcards

Chapter 4: Public Opinion & Socialization Flashcards

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1
Q

Public Opinion

A

What the public thinks about as particular issue or set of issues @ any point in time

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2
Q

Public Opinion Polls

A

Interview or surveys with samples of citizens that are used to estimate the feelings & beliefs of the entire population

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3
Q

Political Socialization

A

The process through which an individual acquires particular political orientations; the learning process by which people acquire their political beliefs and values

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4
Q

Straw Polls

A

Unscientific surveys used to gauge public opinion on a variety of issues and policies.

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5
Q

Founder of Modern Day Polling

A

George Gallup
- played a key role in defining issues of concern to the public
“Gov must take public opinion into account”

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6
Q

1st major attempt to change public opinion

A
  • The federalist papers
    • gain support for newly drafted U.S. constitution
  • Prior was common sense & the crisis
    • used to stimulate patriotic feeling and increase public support for Rev. war
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7
Q

The Committee on Pub Opinion was designed by who and for what

A

President Woodrow Wilson to rally people for the war effort

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8
Q

Walter Lippmen

A

Raised concerns about how easily a gov could manipulate opinion
After Woodrow Wilson

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9
Q

Literary Digest

A

Mailed survey post cards to potential voters drawing samples from every telephone book in U.S.
- (rosters of club assoc, city directories, list of registered voters)
— straw polls

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10
Q

Errors with Literary Digest

A

OVERSAMPLED wealthy republicans, underestimating Democratic
TIMING: questions were sent out in early Sept, too early to measure change in public opinion as voting came closer
SELF SELECTION: only 22% sent back responses, those who were highly motivated/ politically inclined

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11
Q

Groups of Influnce

A
  • Family
  • School and Peers
  • Mass Media
  • Social Groups (religion, race &ethnicity, gender, age, region)
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12
Q

Family- Influence

A

2 factors: communication and receptivity
More likely to have same viewpoints as parents
- thoughts on police and president after 9/11
- 1988 58% pro Reagan

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13
Q

Schools and Peers - Influence

A
  • Elem. schools teach students to be patriotic and respectful
  • 1944- Kids Voting USA designed to have higher voting kids
  • As children get older, peers have bigger influence
  • Girl Scouts heightens girls interest in politics
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14
Q

Mass Media- Influence

A
  • Adult Americans spend about 30 hrs on tv per week, children even more
  • often news media is skewed
  • 2004, 40% got info on entertainment tv
  • 1996 internet new form of campaigning
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15
Q

Religion- Influence

A
  • 67% of all Americans are members of a church/synagogue
  • faith based political activity largely on left
  • 1972- religious gap appeared in voting for Nixon
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16
Q

Race and Ethnicity- Influence

A
  • Black children lose interest in gov as they get older

- generally Hispanics and Natives hold similar opinions b/c low income

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17
Q

Gender

A
  • Women hold very different opinions from men

- women democratic and more liberal on family/children related issues

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18
Q

Age- Influence

A
  • seniors are more people:

More likely registered voters, often conservatives

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19
Q

Region- Influence

A

South much more religious
Rep- West, Midwest, and South
Dem- North East, Westcoast

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20
Q

Political Ideology

A

Coherent set of values & beliefs about the purpose and scope of gov held by groups and individuals

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21
Q

Random Sampling

A

Method of poll sampling that gives each person in a group the same chance of being selected
(Good in theory but kind of impossible)

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22
Q

Push Polls

A

Polls taken for the purpose of providing info on an opponent that would lead respondents to vote against that candidate

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23
Q

Exit Polls

A

Polls conducted at selected polling places on Election Day

- used to predict outcome

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24
Q

Stratified Sampling

A

A variation of random samplings census data are used to divide the country into 4 sampling regions

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25
Q

Tracking Polls

A

Continuos surveys that enable a campaign to chart its daily rise or fall in support

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26
Q

Sampling Error/Margin Error

A

A measure of the accuracy of a public Opinion poll

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27
Q

Reason we form political opinions

A

Personal Benefit, Political Knowledge, Cues from leaders

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28
Q

Reasons for Political Opinion- PERSONAL BENEFIT

A
  • Americans growing more and more “I” centered

- when forced with policies that don’t affect us personally we don’t care

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29
Q

Reasons for political opinion- POLITICAL KNOWLEDGE

A

The more political knowledge the more political participation
- In general Americans are very misinformed/uniformed

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30
Q

Reasons for Political Opinions- Cues from Leaders

A
  • public opinion can change because of political leaders especially the president
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31
Q

Yellow Journalism

A

A form of oversimplified, sensationalized news coverage in the 19th century
- featured pictures, comic, and colors

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32
Q

Network

A

An association of broadcast stations (radio or TV) that share programming through a financial arrangement

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33
Q

Muck racking

A

A form of journalism in vogue early 20th century concerned with reforming government and business conduct

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34
Q

Affiliates

A

Local TV station that carry the programming of a national network

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35
Q

Who promoted Yellow Journalism

A

William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer

36
Q

How does Gov provide its own news?

A
  • Involved in press corruption (rare today)

- News business shifter from passionate opinion to corporate profit

37
Q

Evolution of Print Press

A

Political Print Press corporations have grown, however readers have declined

38
Q

Press Release

A

A document offering an official comment or position

39
Q

Press Conference

A

An unrestricted session between an elected official and the press

40
Q

On Background

A

Info provided to a journalist that will not be attributed to a named source

41
Q

On the Record

A

Info provided to a journalist that can be released and attributed by name to the source

42
Q

Deep Background

A

Info provided to a journalist that won’t be attributed to any source

43
Q

Media Bias

A

Having told an untruth, only part of a truth, or fact out of context

44
Q

Equal Time Rule

A

The rule that requires broadcast stations to sell air time equally to all candidates in political campaigning if they choose to sell any

45
Q

Content regulation

A

Gov attempts to regulate electronic Media

46
Q

Fairness doctorine

A

Rule in effect from 1949-1985 requiring broadcasters to cover events adequately and to present contrasting views on important public issues.

47
Q

Liberal

A

Considered to favor extensive governmental; involvement of the economy and the provision of social services and to take an activist role in protecting the rights of women, the elderly, minoritíes, and the environment.

48
Q

Conservative

A

One thought to believe that a government is best that governs less and that big governments can only infringe on individual, personal, and economic rights

49
Q

Populist

A

a member of adherent of a political party seeking to represent the interest of ordinary people.

50
Q

Libertarian

A

One who favors a free market economy and no governmental inference in personal liberties

51
Q

Political Spin

A

A form of propaganda, achieved through providing a biased interpretation of an event/campaign

52
Q

Freedom of Information

Act

A

A federal freedom of information law that allows for the full or partial disclosure of previously unreleased info and documents.

53
Q

FCC

A

Federal Communication Commission- an independent agency of the U.S. government created by statute to regulate interstate communications by radio, tv, wire, satellite, and cable.

54
Q

Random Digit Dialing

A

a method for selecting people for involvement in telephone statistical surveys by generating telephone numbers at random

55
Q

Media Bias

A

The reporting of data that has a political or ideological slant rather than being objective

56
Q

Watchdog

A

Group that watches the activities of a particular part of government in order to report illegal acts or problems

57
Q

Agenda Setter

A

ability [of the news media] to influence the importance placed on the topics of the public agenda”

58
Q

Scorekeeper

A

The role the press plays by keeping track of and helping make political reputations, note who is being mentioned as a presidential candidate, and help decide who is winning and losing in Washington politics

59
Q

NY Times vs Sullivan

A

Case in which Supreme Court concluded that actual malice must be proved to support a finding of libel against a public figure. Simply publishing a defamatory falsehood is not enough to justify a libel judgement.

60
Q

NY Times vs US

A

Also called the Pentagon Paper case; the Supreme Court ruled that any attempt by the government to prevent expression carried a “heavy presumption” against its constitutionally

61
Q

Gender Gap

A

The difference between the voting choices of men and women

62
Q

Political Culture

A

Commonly shared attitudes, beliefs, and core values about how government held by groups and individuals

63
Q

First Amendment

A

Part of the Bill of Rights that imposes a number of restrictions on the federal government with respect to the civil liberties of the people, including freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition.

64
Q 
Sampling Error (Margin
Error)
A

A measure of the accuracy of a public opinion poll.

65
Q

Public opinion polling began in…

A

1930s by asking as many people as possible the same question

66
Q

Moderate

A

A person without extreme views

67
Q

Measuring Public Opinion

A

Public officials learn what the public wants by..

- election results, citizen contacts, letters to the editor, and public opinion polls and surveys

68
Q

How to form a poll

A
  1. Question Wording
  2. Sampling
  3. Contacting respondents
69
Q

Best method of selecting polling sample and why

A

95% Americans have phones therefore random calling is best.

70
Q

Newspapers since…

A

1690’s

71
Q

Papers controlled by policial parties by…

A

1780’s

72
Q

Yellow Journalism began in…

A

1890’s

73
Q

3 methods of getting news

A
  1. 3 major networks, cable news channels and national news magazines still major source of news
  2. National Newspapers
  3. Local Newspapers, TV, and Radio
74
Q

Problems with Polling

A

Sampling errors- always margin of errors
Limited responses- not liking any of the choices
Lack on Info- Cluelessness
Intensity- Polls don’t measure passion for subjects

75
Q

Voting Patterns

A

Census taken every 10 years, immigrants play key factor

76
Q

Covering the President

A

Gets most media attention

Press conferences, press secretary, political bias

77
Q

Covering Congress

A

Most people don;t know all members, investigations get coverage mostly negative

78
Q

Covering Courts

A

Little Attention, No cameras in Supreme Court. Only big decisions covered

79
Q

Investigate Journalism

A

Watergate changed everything. Before there was privacy, now you want to catch a politician
- after watergate no privacy

80
Q

Media’s affect on Public Opinion

A 
Press has little affect of pub opin.
- Reporting can sway opin if
      People uncommitted/no strong opinion
      Topic is distant
-Media can tell you what is important
81
Q

Content Regulation

A

Since it is public airwaves, gov forces to “serve Public Interest”

82
Q

Censorship

A

Gov restricted access and info to the press during the Gulf Wars

83
Q

Watergate Scandal

A

Changed journalism into not giving privacy and trying to catch presidents during their bad acts

84
Q

Why is TV and Radio regulated

A

Airwaves considered public property

85
Q

Why is fairness doctrine no longer in effect

A

Growth of Electronic medium allows for diversity therefore no longer seemed necessary

AP GOV (10 decks)

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