Chapter 6 Vocabulary

Question 1

agenda setting

Answer 1

Determining which public-policy questions will be debated or considered

Question 2

generational effect

Answer 2

A long-lasting effect of events of a particular time on the political opinions or preferences of those who came of political age at that time

Question 3

political socialization

Answer 3

The process through which individuals learn a set of political attitudes and form opinions about social issues. The family and the educational system are two of the most important forces in the political socialization process

Question 4

boycott

Answer 4

A form of pressure or protest—an organized refusal to purchase a particular product or deal with a particular business

Question 5

media

Answer 5

The channels of mass communication

Question 6

political trust

Answer 6

The degree to which individuals express trust in the government and political institutions, usually measured through a specific series of survey questions

Question 7

consensus

Answer 7

General agreement among the citizenry on an issue

Question 8

opinion leader

Answer 8

One who is able to influence the opinions of others because of position, expertise, or personality. Such leaders help to shape public opinion

Question 9

public opinion

Answer 9

The aggregate of individual attitudes or beliefs shared by some portion of the adult population. There is no one public opinion, because there are many different “publics”

Question 10

divisive opinion

Answer 10

Public opinion that is polarized between two quite different positions

Question 11

opinion poll

Answer 11

A method of systematically questioning a small, selected sample of respondents who are deemed representative of the total population. Opinion polls are widely used by government, business, university scholars, political candidates, and voluntary groups to provide reasonably accurate data on public attitudes, beliefs, expectations, and behavior

Question 12

sampling error

Answer 12

The difference between sample results and the true result if the entire population had been interviewed

Question 13

gender gap

Answer 13

A term most often used to describe the difference between the percentage of women who vote for a particular candidate and the percentage of men who vote for the candidate. The term came into use after the 1980 presidential elections.

Question 14

peer group

Answer 14

A group consisting of members sharing common social characteristics. These groups play an important part in the socialization process, helping to shape attitudes and beliefs

Question 15

socioeconomic status

Answer 15

The value assigned to a person due to occupation or income. An upper-class person, for example, has high socioeconomic status