Chapter 5 Flashcards
Citizen’s attitudes about political issues, leaders, institutions, and events.
Public Opinion
Basic principles that shape a person’s opinions about political issues and events.
Values (or beliefs)
A specific preference on a particular issue.
Attitude (or opinion)
Freedom from governmental control.
Liberty
A widely shared American ideal that all people should have the freedom to use whatever talents and wealth they have to reach their fullest potential.
Equality of Opportunity
A system of rule that permits citizens to play a significant part in the governmental process, usually through the election of key public officials.
Democracy
A cohesive set of beliefs that forms a general philosophy about the role of government.
Political Ideology
Today this term refers to those who generally support social and political reform; governmental intervention in the economy and more economic equality; the expansion of federal social services; and greater concern for consumers and the environment.
Liberal
Today this term refers to those who generally support the social and economic status quo and are suspicious of efforts to introduce new political formulae and economic arrangements; conservatives believe that a large and powerful government poses a threat to citizens’ freedom.
Conservatives
The induction of individuals into the political culture; learning the underlying beliefs and values on which the political system is based.
Political Socialization
Social institutions, including families and schools, that help to shape individuals’ basic political beliefs and values.
Agents of Socialization
A distinctive pattern of voting behavior reflecting the differences in views between women and men.
Gender Gap
The public forum in which beliefs and ideas are exchanged and compete.
Marketplace of Ideas
*Three forces that play important roles in shaping opinions in the marketplace are the
government, private groups, and the news media.
Scientific instruments for measuring public opinion.
Public – Opinion Polls
A small group selected by researchers to represent the most important characteristics of an entire population.
Sample
A method used by pollsters to select a representative sample in which every individual in the population has an equal probability of being selected as a respondent.
Simple Random Sample (or probability sample)
A polling method in which respondents are selected at random from a list of 10-digit telephone numbers, with every effort made to avoid bias in the construction of the sample.
Random Digit Dialing
Polling error that arises based on the small size of sample.
Sampling error (or margin of error)
The effect that results when respondents in a survey report what they expect the interviewer wishes to hear rather than what they believe.
Social Desirability Effect
The tendency to focus news coverage on only one aspect of an event or issue, avoiding coverage of other aspects.
Selection Bias (news)
Polling error that arises when the sample is not representative of the population being studied, which creates errors in over-representing or underrepresenting some opinions.
Selection Bias (surveys)
A polling technique in which the questions are designed to shape the respondent’s opinion.
Push Poling
A shift in electoral support to the candidate whom public-opinion polls report as the frontrunner.
Bandwagon Effect
