chapter 8-9 flashcards
explain how public opinions are impacted by family
children first see the political world through a family’s eyes. they learn from what their parents say, and pick up fundamental attitudes, which creates a slant towards authority, property, neighbors, or people of other races
explain how public opinions are impacted by school
schools teach children the values of the American political system. they pick up growing amounts of political knowledge and opinions
explain how public opinions are impacted by the mass media
political advertisements, news, and social media
explain how public opinions are impacted by peer groups
people trust the views of their friends. as a result, they are usually reluctant to stray too far from what their peers think and how their peers behave
what does public affairs mean?
includes politics, public issues, and the making of public policies
what does public opinion mean?
attitudes held by a significant number
what does mass media mean?
communication at large
what does peer group mean?
people that you are with a lot
how does elections gauge public opinion?
elections are frequently interpreted as voters’ acceptance or rejection of a party platform. in fact, voting is affected by many factors and gives only a broad indication of public opinion
how do interest groups gauge public opinion?
interest groups pressure government officials to shape public policy in specific ways. it is difficult to tell how many citizens support such groups and how strongly they hold these views
how does the media gauge public opinion?
media is often said to “mirror” public opinion. in fact, they are not accurate mirrors because they may reflect only a vocal minority
how do personal contracts gauge public opinion?
political leaders try to gauge public opinion by addressing groups, reading mail, visiting home districts. it is difficult to “read” public opinion from such contracts
who do polls gauge public opinion?
polls, especially those based on scientific polling techniques, are the best measure of public opinion. they collect info about public opinion by asking people questions
step 1 of the polling process?
define the universe. figure out which group should be polled
step 2 of polling process?
construct a sample. random samples are drawn based on the law of probability, since in some cases, it is impossible to poll every person in a selected group.
step 3 of polling process?
prepare valid questions. questions should be phrased carefully. avoid using loaded questions and questions that are worded to shape answers
step 4 of polling process?
conduct interviews. whether a poll is conducted face-to-face or by mail or phone, pollsters must use proper interviewing techniques to avoid invalid results
step 5 of polling process?
report the poll’s findings. computers and other electronic hardware help pollsters tabulate and interpret results
what is an interest group?
group that tries to influence the government to adopt certain policies or measures
what is a public opinion poll?
survey of public opinion
what is a straw vote?
unofficial ballot conducted as a test of opinion
what is a sample?
a sample
what is a random sample?
each member has a probability of being chosen
what is a quota sample?
gathering of representative data
what kinds of media have an influence on public opinion?
television, newspapers, radio, and magazines
how does the mass media help to shape the public agenda?
public focuses on one issue
how has television influenced the power of political parties and political campaigns?
made candidates less dependent on traditional party organizations by allowing them to appeal directly to the public
what factors limit the influence on mass media?
most people don’t follow public events that closely
what does medium mean?
means of communication
what is a public agenda?
issues that politicians and citizens agree need to be addressed
what is a sound bite?
short news report
what is an interest group?
organization whose members are linked by a common opinion
what is a public policy?
all the goals the government sets and the actions it takes to reach those goals
what are some business groups?
NAM, Chamber of Commerce, US Brewers’ Association
what are trade associations?
interest group for a segment of the business community
what are labor unions?
an organized association of workers, often in a trade or profession, formed to protect and further their rights and interests.
