Chapter 6 Flashcards
Consensus
General agreement among the citizenry on an issue
Public Opinion
The aggregate of individual attitudes or beliefs shared by some portion of the adult population.
Divisive opinion
Public opinion that is polarized between two quite different positions.
Political Socialization
The process by which people acquire political beliefs and attitudes
Peer Group
A group consisting of members sharing common social characteristics. These groups play an important role in the socialization process, helping shape attitudes and beliefs.
Opinion Leader
One who is able to influence the opinions of others because of position, expertise, or personality.
Media
The channels of mass communication
Agenda-setting
Determining which public-policy questions will be debated or considered.
Generational Effect
A long-lasting effect of the events of a particular time in the political opinions of those who came of political age at that time.
Watergate Break-in
The 1972 illegal entry into the Democratic National Convention offices by participants in President Richard Nixon’s reelection campaign
Socioeconomic status
The value assigned to a person due to occupation or income. An upper-class person, for example, has high socioeconomic status.
Gender Gap
The difference between the percentage of women who voted for a particular candidate and the number of men who vote for the candidate.
Opinion Poll
A method of symmetrically questioning a small, selected sample of respondent a who are deemed representative of the total population.
Sampling error
The difference between a sample’s results and the true result if the entire population had been interviewed
Political trust
The degree to which individuals express trust in the government and political institutions, usually measured through a specific series of survey questions
