Chapter 4: Public Opinion & Socialization Flashcards
Public Opinion
What the public thinks about as particular issue or set of issues @ any point in time
Public Opinion Polls
Interview or surveys with samples of citizens that are used to estimate the feelings & beliefs of the entire population
Political Socialization
The process through which an individual acquires particular political orientations; the learning process by which people acquire their political beliefs and values
Straw Polls
Unscientific surveys used to gauge public opinion on a variety of issues and policies.
Founder of Modern Day Polling
George Gallup
- played a key role in defining issues of concern to the public
“Gov must take public opinion into account”
1st major attempt to change public opinion
- 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
The Committee on Pub Opinion was designed by who and for what
President Woodrow Wilson to rally people for the war effort
Walter Lippmen
Raised concerns about how easily a gov could manipulate opinion
After Woodrow Wilson
Literary Digest
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
Errors with Literary Digest
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
Groups of Influnce
- Family
- School and Peers
- Mass Media
- Social Groups (religion, race ðnicity, gender, age, region)
Family- Influence
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
Schools and Peers - Influence
- 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
Mass Media- Influence
- 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
Religion- Influence
- 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
Race and Ethnicity- Influence
- Black children lose interest in gov as they get older
- generally Hispanics and Natives hold similar opinions b/c low income
Gender
- Women hold very different opinions from men
- women democratic and more liberal on family/children related issues
Age- Influence
- seniors are more people:
More likely registered voters, often conservatives
Region- Influence
South much more religious
Rep- West, Midwest, and South
Dem- North East, Westcoast
Political Ideology
Coherent set of values & beliefs about the purpose and scope of gov held by groups and individuals
Random Sampling
Method of poll sampling that gives each person in a group the same chance of being selected
(Good in theory but kind of impossible)
Push Polls
Polls taken for the purpose of providing info on an opponent that would lead respondents to vote against that candidate
Exit Polls
Polls conducted at selected polling places on Election Day
- used to predict outcome
Stratified Sampling
A variation of random samplings census data are used to divide the country into 4 sampling regions
Tracking Polls
Continuos surveys that enable a campaign to chart its daily rise or fall in support
Sampling Error/Margin Error
A measure of the accuracy of a public Opinion poll
Reason we form political opinions
Personal Benefit, Political Knowledge, Cues from leaders
Reasons for Political Opinion- PERSONAL BENEFIT
- Americans growing more and more “I” centered
- when forced with policies that don’t affect us personally we don’t care
Reasons for political opinion- POLITICAL KNOWLEDGE
The more political knowledge the more political participation
- In general Americans are very misinformed/uniformed
Reasons for Political Opinions- Cues from Leaders
- public opinion can change because of political leaders especially the president
Yellow Journalism
A form of oversimplified, sensationalized news coverage in the 19th century
- featured pictures, comic, and colors
Network
An association of broadcast stations (radio or TV) that share programming through a financial arrangement
Muck racking
A form of journalism in vogue early 20th century concerned with reforming government and business conduct
Affiliates
Local TV station that carry the programming of a national network
Who promoted Yellow Journalism
William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer
How does Gov provide its own news?
- Involved in press corruption (rare today)
- News business shifter from passionate opinion to corporate profit
Evolution of Print Press
Political Print Press corporations have grown, however readers have declined
Press Release
A document offering an official comment or position
Press Conference
An unrestricted session between an elected official and the press
On Background
Info provided to a journalist that will not be attributed to a named source
On the Record
Info provided to a journalist that can be released and attributed by name to the source
Deep Background
Info provided to a journalist that won’t be attributed to any source
Media Bias
Having told an untruth, only part of a truth, or fact out of context
Equal Time Rule
The rule that requires broadcast stations to sell air time equally to all candidates in political campaigning if they choose to sell any
Content regulation
Gov attempts to regulate electronic Media
Fairness doctorine
Rule in effect from 1949-1985 requiring broadcasters to cover events adequately and to present contrasting views on important public issues.
Liberal
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.
Conservative
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
Populist
a member of adherent of a political party seeking to represent the interest of ordinary people.
Libertarian
One who favors a free market economy and no governmental inference in personal liberties
Political Spin
A form of propaganda, achieved through providing a biased interpretation of an event/campaign
Freedom of Information
Act
A federal freedom of information law that allows for the full or partial disclosure of previously unreleased info and documents.
FCC
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.
Random Digit Dialing
a method for selecting people for involvement in telephone statistical surveys by generating telephone numbers at random
Media Bias
The reporting of data that has a political or ideological slant rather than being objective
Watchdog
Group that watches the activities of a particular part of government in order to report illegal acts or problems
Agenda Setter
ability [of the news media] to influence the importance placed on the topics of the public agenda”
Scorekeeper
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
NY Times vs Sullivan
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.
NY Times vs US
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
Gender Gap
The difference between the voting choices of men and women
Political Culture
Commonly shared attitudes, beliefs, and core values about how government held by groups and individuals
First Amendment
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.
Sampling Error (Margin Error)
A measure of the accuracy of a public opinion poll.
Public opinion polling began in…
1930s by asking as many people as possible the same question
Moderate
A person without extreme views
Measuring Public Opinion
Public officials learn what the public wants by..
- election results, citizen contacts, letters to the editor, and public opinion polls and surveys
How to form a poll
- Question Wording
- Sampling
- Contacting respondents
Best method of selecting polling sample and why
95% Americans have phones therefore random calling is best.
Newspapers since…
1690’s
Papers controlled by policial parties by…
1780’s
Yellow Journalism began in…
1890’s
3 methods of getting news
- 3 major networks, cable news channels and national news magazines still major source of news
- National Newspapers
- Local Newspapers, TV, and Radio
Problems with Polling
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
Voting Patterns
Census taken every 10 years, immigrants play key factor
Covering the President
Gets most media attention
Press conferences, press secretary, political bias
Covering Congress
Most people don;t know all members, investigations get coverage mostly negative
Covering Courts
Little Attention, No cameras in Supreme Court. Only big decisions covered
Investigate Journalism
Watergate changed everything. Before there was privacy, now you want to catch a politician
- after watergate no privacy
Media’s affect on Public Opinion
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 importantContent Regulation
Since it is public airwaves, gov forces to “serve Public Interest”
Censorship
Gov restricted access and info to the press during the Gulf Wars
Watergate Scandal
Changed journalism into not giving privacy and trying to catch presidents during their bad acts
Why is TV and Radio regulated
Airwaves considered public property
Why is fairness doctrine no longer in effect
Growth of Electronic medium allows for diversity therefore no longer seemed necessary
