Chapters 8 and 9 Test Flashcards
4 types of mediums
- television
- newspapers
- radios
- magazines
examples of television
CBS, NBC, ABC, CNN, PBS, Fox Network
examples of newspapers
new york times, washington post, chicago tribune, los angeles times, wall street journal, christian science monitor, use today
examples of radio
nbc, cos, mutual broadcasting system, npr
examples of magazines
times, newsweek, us news and world report, the nation, the new republic, the national review
how do the mass media help shape the public agenda
they have the power to get the public to focus on a certain issue
how do the mass media help shape political campaigns
it has made political campaigns more image conscious and less focused on complex policy debates
what is a medium
means of communication
(true/false) most of the information that americans have about politics comes from the mass media
true
(true/false) television replaced newspapers as the principal source of news in the united states during the 1930s
false
(true/false) in recent decades there has been a sharp decline in the number of daily newspapers published in the united states
true
which of the following sequences lists the major mass media from most impact to least
television, newspapers, radio, magazines
which of the following carried mostly political news in its early days
newspapers
the impact of the mass media on the public agenda can best be described as its ability to tell people
what issues to think about
what are the 6 factors that shape public opinion
- family
- schools
- mass media
- peer groups
- opinion leaders
- historic events
types of information communicated from family
values, how to behave, morals, religious ideologies
types of information communicated from the schools
how to get along with others, formal and informal ways of learning
types of information communicated from the mass media
politics, public polices; the media gives a platform for opinion leaders
types of information communicated from peer groups
reinforces one’s opinions or creates one’s opinions
types of information communicated from opinion leaders
communicate information that people can draw ideas form politics and social issues
types of information communicated from historic events
feelings on issues that arise out of events or experiences
what does it mean to say that “many publics exists exist in the united states”
many groups of people who weigh in on subjects
why are family and school particularly important in shaping people’s political views
family and schools shape people who are most impressionable in childhood
(true/false) the views of different generations are formed in part by the different historical events that occurred during their lifetimes
true
(true/false) each group with a distinct point of view on an issue of public policy can be considered a separate public with regard to that matter
true
which two groups have the strongest impact on political socialization in the united states
the family
an opinion leader is a person
whose views have more weight than the average person’s
what are public affairs
include politics, public issues, and the making of public politics - those events and issues that concern the people
what are mass media
include those means of communication that reach large, widely dispersed audiences (masses of people) simultaneously
what are interest groups
private organizations whose members share certain views and objectives and work to shape the making and the content of public policy
what are public opinion polls
devices that attempt to collect information by asking people questions
what are straw votes
polls that sought to read the public’s mind simply by asking the same question of a large number of people
what are samples
a representative slice of the total universe
what are random samples
(probability sample) a sample in which each member of the universe and each geographic area within it have a mathematically equal chance of being included
what are quota samples
a sample deliberately constructed to reflect several of the major characteristics of a given universe
what is public agenda
the societal problems that the nation’s political leaders and the general public agree need government attention
what are sound bites
snappy reports that can be aired in 30 or 45 seconds or so
what is public policy
includes all of the goals that a government pursues in the many areas of the human affairs in which it is involved. examples: seat belt laws, setting speed limits, zoning, planning for flood control, providing old age pensions and the use of military force in international affairs
what are the 6 valuable functions of interest groups
- raise awareness in public affairs
- represent members on basis of shared attitudes
- interests provide info. to government
- vehicles for political participation
- add element to checks and balances
- regularly compete with one another
what is trade association
segments of the business community that have their own interest groups
what is labor union
an organization of workers who share the same type of job of who work in the same industry
what is a public interest group
an interest group that seeks to institute certain public policies of benefit to all or most people in this country, whether of not they belong to of support that organization
what is propaganda
a technique of persuasion aimed at influencing individual or group behaviors. interest groups that try to create public attitudes they want by using propaganda
what is single interest group
a variety of PAC (political action committee) that concentrate their efforts on one issue - for example, gun control, abortion, health care
what is lobbying
those activities by which PAC organizations bring pressure to bear on all legislators and the legislative process
what are the 8 types of interest groups
- business groups
- labor groups
- agricultural groups
- professional groups
- groups that promote causes
- organizations that promote the welfare of certain groups
- religious organizations
- single interest groups
what are business groups
looked to government to promote and protect it interests (businesses in America)
examples: US Brewer’s association and chamber pf commerce in MB
what are labor groups
organization of workers who share the same type of job or who work in the same industry
examples: AFL-CIO (the american fed. of labor - congress of industrial organizations) and retail clerks international union
what are agricultural groups
serves interests of farmers and farm workers
examples: national grange and national farmer’s union
what are professional groups
occupations that require extensive and specialized training, such as medicine, law, and teaching
examples: the american medical association (AMA), american bar association (ABA - lawyers), national education association (NEA)
what are groups that promote causes
a large number of groups exist to promote a cause or an idea
examples: american civil liberties union (ACLU) and league of women voters
what are organizations that promote the welfare of certain groups
a number of interest groups seek to promote the welfare of certain segments of the population
examples: national association for advancement of colored people (NAACP)
what are religious organizations
influence public policy in places like churches
what are single interest group
a pack that concentrates on a single issue
what is a mandate
instructions of a constituency gives to its elected officials
what is an interest group
private organization whose members attempt to share public policy according to their shared view of an issue or issues
what is a straw vote
poll that asks a single question to a large, self selected group
what is a random sample
sample in which each member of the universe has a mathematically equal chance of being selected
what is a quota sample
a sample deliberately constructed to reflect several of the major characteristics of the universe being studied
the most accurate means of assessing public opinion is through
scientific polling techniques
universe is a term used to refer to
the entire group whose opinions a poll seeks to measure
which of the following is a constitutional deliberately erected as a means to block immediate legal changes based on public opinion
guarantees of civil rights and liberties, the doctrine of separation of powers, and the doctrine of checks and balances
which are the most important factors in political socialization
family and education
a popular movie star who speaks publicly about a political issue may become
an opinion leader
if you asked the same question about an upcoming election to many people, you would be conducting a
straw vote
the most accurate way to measure public opinion is by
scientific polling
which of the mass media has the most impact on american politics
television
how has television affected political campaigns
it has made candidates less dependent on political parties
the public agenda refers to
the public issues people think and talk about
an interest group is a private organization that forms to
promote the interests of its members
a positive activity of interest groups is to
get people interest in public affairs, provide information to government, join together people from different parts of the country
a single interest group
concentrates on electing or defeating candidates based on one issue
a political action committee’s purpose is to
raise money for political candidates
lobbyist activities are
regulated by law
5 ideologies that form the political spectrum
- radical
- liberal
- moderate
- conservative
- reactionary
5 conservative opinion leaders
- rush limbaugh
- bill o’ reilly
- sean hannity
- megan kelly
- laura ingram
5 liberal opinion leaders
- oprah
- michael moore
- anderson cooper
- Keith oberman
- bill mahr
3 historic events in your lifetime that shaped public opinion
- 9/11
- stock market crash 2008
- northridge earthquake
4 historic events in the 18th, 19th, or 20th century that helped shape public opinion
- great depression
- holocaust
- civil rights movement
- bombing of pearl harbor
5 measures of public opinion
- elections
- polls
- interest groups
- mass media
- personal contacts
6 forms of mass media
- billboards
- television
- radio
- magazines
- newspapers
- internet
what is the difference between straw votes and scientific polling
straw votes are polls that sought to read the public’s mind simply by asking the same question of a large number of people. scientific polling is the accuracy of the poll with random sampling and statistics
5 steps of the polling process
- define the universe to be surveyed
- construct a sample
- prepare valid questions
- select and control how the polls will be taken
- analyze and report their findings to the public
what is political spectrum
a line or continuum that shows the range of political opinions that can exist in a society
what is ideology
a collection of political, social, and economic beliefs that reveal the type and amount of change a person or group wishes to see in society
what is radical
favors extreme and immediate change, willing to use violence, and believes change comes in a new society or system
what is liberal
favors progress and reform, works for reform within existing systems, looks to the future for an improve society
what is moderate
favors a nonviolent practical approach to solving society’s problems, may be “liberal” or “conservative” in outlook depending on given issue
what is conservative
favors society as it is or a reform to what society was in the past, opposed to abrupt change, values tradition
what is reactionary
favors extreme and immediate change, is willing to use violence, believes that change comes in the form of a restoration of society as it once was
