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POLS 1301 > final > Flashcards

final Flashcards

1
Q

what is public opinion?

A

an aggregation of individually held opinions. “those opinions held by private persons which governments find it prudent to heed”

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2
Q

how can a competent surveyor gather an accurate assessment of public opinion?

A

a poll of 1200-1500 respondents

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3
Q

how accurate will a a poll of 1200-1500 respondents be?

A

within a margin of 3 percentage points of the true opinion of the population being sampled

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4
Q

what are 3 errors/difficulties with polling?

A

1) sampling error
2) selection bias
3) measurement error

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5
Q

an error that arises rom the fat that one must use a sample of the population to estimate the opinion of the population.

A

sampling error

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6
Q

a sample is not actually representative of the population because the sample was not generated by a random process

A

selection bias

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7
Q

what is response rate?

A

certain sub-populations are not as likely to agree to participate in a survey

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8
Q

what occurs because answers for surveys are often just of the top of the head responses that are not firmly held opinions

A

measurement error

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9
Q

what is a typical source or cause of measurement error? what are some examples?

A

question wording:

  • confusing questions
  • leading questions
  • oversimplified questions
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10
Q

why do president and presidential candidates poll the public so much?

A

polls are used to gauge the public’s views and the favorability of candidates and used to see if pushing a certain issue can help shape opinion

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11
Q

since when has polling been a very common practice?

A

since President Jimmy Carter

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12
Q

what 4 things specifically guide public opinion?

A

1) attitudes
2) ideologies
3) core values
4) partisanship

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13
Q

what is an attitude?

A

an organized and consistent manner of thinking, feeling, and reacting with regard to people, groups, social issues, or more generally, any even in one’s environment

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14
Q

what is an ideology?

A

a coherent structure of attitudes that are consistent in the sense that one can accurately predict a person’s stance on a host of issues if the individual is ideologically sophisticated

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15
Q

what is the relationship between ideology and attitude?

A

ideologies link attitudes together into something greater, as in coalitional politics “he’s a conservative”

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16
Q

specific guiding principles that some individual holds to structure their view of politics

A

core values

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17
Q

partisanship

A

a psychological attachment to a political party

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18
Q

how is partisan ship typically measured?

A

on a 7 point scale

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19
Q

is it true that partisanship is generally handed down from parent to child?

A

yes

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20
Q

when is partisanship weakest?

A

during college years

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21
Q

when “the race” is close, what part of partisanship tends to make the most difference?

A

independents

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22
Q

why are polls not accurate in predicting an issue that has close to 50/50 support?

A

it is too close to have an accurate reading, given the the margin of error; “the race is too close to call”

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23
Q

what has the biggest impact on the development of public opinion?

A

political socialization

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24
Q

what is political socialization?

A

the process of acquiring political attitudes through influences in one’s environment (such as family, community, religion, schools, etc.)

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25
Q

what 4 thing are most prominent in shaping public opinion?

A

political socialization
personal experience
self- interest
the media

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26
Q

what does it mean to be a “cognitive miser”?

A

reluctant to pay the cost of acquiring information that has no practical payoff

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27
Q

what is the effect of being a cognitive miser on public opinion

A

public opinion are often uninformed, not ideological, and inconsistent across time and issue domains

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28
Q

what is framing?

A

presenting a story or issue in a certain way to express an opinion

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29
Q

who wrote the rational public?

A

page and shapiro

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30
Q

according to rational public, why is public opinion meaningful?

A

because the well informed subset of the population drives the results of aggregate public opinion, aggregated public opinion is stable, consistent and rational

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31
Q

public opinion pushes back when politicians/political parties move too far to the left for right. who wrote about this?

A

James Stimson in the Tides of Consent

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32
Q

who wrote Assessing the President?

A

Richard Brody

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33
Q

what is Assessing the President about?

A

it expounds on how the media end elites shape public approval of the president (this explains the honeymoon effect and the rally round the flag effect)

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34
Q

what did John Zaller write?

A

The Nature and Origins of Mass Opinion

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35
Q

what did The Nature and Origins of Mass Opinion say?

A

elites can foster mainstream effects or polarization effects in public opinion

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36
Q

how can elites foster mainstream effects in public opinion?

A

when they are in agreement, public opinion of the mass may also be in agreement

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37
Q

how can elites foster polarization effects in public opinion?

A

when elites disagree, the public opinion tends to polarize with the differing views

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38
Q

what is the long-term trend in the american public’s trust in the government? short-term?

A

long term- downward trend

short term- upward trend based on the economy and crisis/leadership

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39
Q

what are some fairly recent things that have contributed to the decline in public trust/confidence in government?

A

watergate scandal and LBJ’s deceptiveness

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40
Q

generally speaking, what is public opinion on economic issues?

A

favors more spending

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41
Q

generally speaking, what is public opinion on social and moral issues?

A

most often people need to know the context before they’ll form an opinion even though debate is dominated by extremists on the left and right.

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42
Q

on what social/moral issue is public opinion growing more liberal?

A

gay rights

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43
Q

what is a cognitive shortcut

A

making an assumption because you don’t want to go through the work to be informed

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44
Q

expound on “issue publics”

A

while people are often uninformed on political issues, they develop expertise in the area they work in or in the things they are interested in

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45
Q

when was public opinion on military issues most united?

A

during the cold war

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46
Q

what even has made the public opinion on military issues more split?

A

9/11

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47
Q

what are the main factors in someone’s “back ground” that effects their opinion?

A
  • race and ethnicity
  • gender
  • income and education
  • religion
  • location/environment (state, rural vs. urban, etc.)
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48
Q

what does the racial/ethnic divide most effect?

A

partisanship and presidential votes

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49
Q

women tend to be less supportive of _______ and more supportive of _______

A

aggressive military conflict; spending on social welfare programs

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50
Q

true or false: there is a great gender gap on the issue of abortion: men tend to be more in favor than women

A

false: no significant gender gap

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51
Q

do educated people tend to be more or less tolerant?

A

more tolerant

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52
Q

people who have higher incomes tend to favor what?

A

less taxes

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53
Q

individuals with no education are found to be mostly _________

A

democratic

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54
Q

during high school years, people are found to favor _______ views

A

republican

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55
Q

individuals with a college degree tend to have _______ views

A

democratic

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56
Q

does religion more strongly effect white people or african americans in regard to politics?

A

whites

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57
Q

how does living in an urban for rural setting effect one’s views?

A

urban- more diversity; more democratic

rural- conservative and traditional

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58
Q

what do we mean when we say that your age effects your opinion

A

it matters when you were born- what was happening politically, socially and economically when you were born/ growing up

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59
Q

does the constitution say anything about political parties? did the founding father’s favor parties?

A

no the constitution does not say anything and the founding fathers did not want political parties

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60
Q

why do we not do away with political parties?

A

they are too useful and efficient

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61
Q

PIG

A

Party In the Government (elected with a party label)

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62
Q

PIE

A

Party in the Electorate (people/voters who identify with a party)

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63
Q

PO

A

Party Organization (committees, national committees etc.)

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64
Q

which came first, the PIG, PIE, or PO?

A

PIG

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65
Q

what kind of system does the US have?

A

2 party system

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66
Q

Why does the US have a 2 party system

A

we have a FPTP system

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67
Q

what are the incentives for party building?

A

stabilize legislative and electoral alliances
mobilize voters
develop new electoral techniques
use party labels/ enforce collective responsibility

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68
Q

what does it mean that our party system is decentralized?

A

political parties look different depending on where you are in the US

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69
Q

what is characteristic of the second party system?

A

organizational innovation:
national conventions
the spoils system

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70
Q

who was the first to implement national conventions?

A

andrew jackson

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71
Q

when did PIE fully materialize?

A

2nd party system

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72
Q

what is characteristic of the 3rd party system?

A

entrepreneurial politics:

  • party machines
  • the progressive attack
  • the consequences of progressive reforms
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73
Q

when did secret ballots come about?

A

3rd party system

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74
Q

what is characteristic of the 4th party system?

A

republican ascendancy

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75
Q

what happened during the 5th party system?

A

creation of New Deal coalition and the erosion of the New Deal coalition

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76
Q

why was there a “rule change” during the 5th party system?

A

a riot broke out at the national convention in Chicago, as a result primary elections and caucuses are held to determine nominees

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77
Q

how have conventions evolved since 1968

A

nominees are no longer decided at conventions, rather they are a show or coronation for the already picked nominee

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78
Q

what happened as a result of fractured alignments during the 5th party system?

A

voters became more indifferent to the parties

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79
Q

as people moved more toward independent partisanship, what did this mean for incumbents

A

they had an advantage. There was a higher chance of reelection; the personal vote mattered more because people were more attached to a candidate than a party

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80
Q

when did independent and 3rd party candidates increase their take?

A

during 5th party system

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81
Q

when did divided partisan control of governments become more common?

A

5th party system

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82
Q

have people been moving to or away from partisanship since 1968?

A

to partisanship (increase in party ID)

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83
Q

true or false: the gap between the 2 parties has increased since 1968?

A

true

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84
Q

pure democracy

A

the people rule

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85
Q

does the US have a pure democracy?

A

no- we have a representative democracy

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86
Q

who wrote The Power Elite?

A

C. Wright Mills

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87
Q

the US government is run by a small number of people

A

Elite model

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88
Q

what is the goal of the elite model?

A

maintain power

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89
Q

interest group liberalism

A

US system of government is best understood as a system run by numerous groups- to understand politics, one must understand the interaction of groups

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90
Q

for which model is this a problem: the system appears open, but elites determine/set the agenda behind closed doors

A

interest group liberalism

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91
Q

for which model is this a problem: not all groups can mobilize and therefore will not serve as a check on other groups

A

interest group liberalism

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92
Q

lobbying arises naturally from the nature of representative government. How/Why?

A

Interests seek influence from elected officials and elected officials seek resources from interests

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93
Q

what would the absence of factions mean?

A

absence of liberty

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94
Q

what is the solution to factions?

A

control the harmful effects by fragmenting government vertically and horizontally

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95
Q

what was established in the colonial era of politics?

A

insider and outsider tactics of lobbyists

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96
Q

who wrote a book about lobbyists?

A

Alexis de Tocqueville

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97
Q

when did interest groups become common?

A

1830’s

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98
Q

according to The Logic of Collective Action why is it rational for interest groups not to form?

A

because most groups that form are seeking collective/public goods- it is sensible to free ride if the good will accrue to everyone

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99
Q

who wrote The Logic of Collective Action

A

Mancur Olson

100
Q

how does one overcome the free rider problem?

A

coercion
moral incentives
selective benefits
partrons and political entrepreneurs

101
Q

what movement spawned many new interest groups?

A

civil rights

102
Q

why are middle class individuals more involved with interest group causes?

A

they have the money to give

103
Q

how has technology advanced interest groups?

A

communication is cheaper and also facilitates organization

104
Q

how does the tax code contribute to the increase interest groups?

A

non profit organizations are exempt from most taxes, and tax reductions for contributors

105
Q

how has the federal government itself contributed to the growth of interest groups

A

the federal government encourages interest groups because bureaucracy and government programs create organized interests

106
Q

what is the principal-agent relationship in interest groups?

A

larger constituency- principal

interest group- agents

107
Q

what kind of tactics depend on fostering durable relationships with elected officials? why is this?

A

insider tactics: if there is not a good relationship, the officials will have little reason to trust the information lobbyists provide- with trust come access

108
Q

what is the goal of outsider tactics?

A

alter political forces by pressuring elected officials so that they will bow to the groups demands

109
Q

what are 5 methods of lobbying?

A 
direct lobbying
grassroots lobbying
persuading the public
litigation
direct action
110
Q

what is direct lobbying?

A

lobbying directly the congress, the president, and the executive branch. face to face and other forms of personal communication

111
Q

what is grassroots lobbying?

A

the purpose is to mobilize citizens on behalf of the cause

112
Q

do politicians trust grassroots lobbying?

A

often skeptic because grassroot lobbying is sometimes of the “astroturf” variety

113
Q

what are 2 methods used by lobbyist to “persuade the public”

A

issue advocacy and direct mail

114
Q

litigation

A

going to court

115
Q

who generally favors litigation methods?

A

interest groups with deep pockets (cooperations)

116
Q

direct action

A

most aggressive: picketing, sit-ins, rallies, boycotts, etc.

117
Q

PAC

A

political action committee

118
Q

what is a PAC?

A

a specialized organization for raising and contributing campaign funds

119
Q

when were PAC’s created?

A

in the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971

120
Q

what happened to the FECA in 1974?

A

it was amended drastically

121
Q

what makes up a PAC?

A

50 people raising money
5 candidates they give to
$5,000 per candidate per campaign

122
Q

Most PACs give instrumentally. what does this mean?

A

they give money to those candidates they expect to win (often incumbents who are expected to be reelected)

123
Q

what ruling did away with limited on PAC spending?

A

Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission

124
Q

most PACs give instrumentally, why do some not?

A

some grips who are religious, environmental, feminist, etc. are ideologically motivated and will support candidates who agree with the PACs agenda

125
Q

what does the degree of a PACs influence depend on?

A

the issue, the legislator, the sentiment of constituents, etc.

126
Q

originally, why were newspapers not profitable?

A

the costs of printing were so high and news was narrowly focused on politics.

127
Q

early on, what was the relationship between the press and politics?

A

Publishers were agents of political parties and received government subsidies for printing partisan propaganda

128
Q

what happened with technological advances like the steam press?

A

the cost of printing was reduced- this allowed publishers to extricate themselves form the grip of the political parties. they began to sell to a mass audience

129
Q

how does “newspaper” reporting differ now from its early days?

A

noticeable reduction in political coverage and partisan bias

130
Q

when did radio gain popularity?

A

1930’s

131
Q

what is an early example of a president “going public”?

A

FDR’s fireside chats

132
Q

what displaced the radio as people’s number one source of information?

A

television

133
Q

what is the FCC?

A

Federal Communications Commission

134
Q

what is the equal time rule?

A

if a network allows a political figure to speak, they must allow the opposition to speak for the same amount of time

135
Q

what is Fairness doctrine?

A

if a channel/network presented a biased story, they were obligated to present the other side as well

136
Q

what 3 things did the FCC establish?

A

equal time rule
fairness doctrine
limitations of cross-ownership in single media markets

137
Q

what is news content determined by?

A

profit motive; consumer demand

138
Q

what does sensationalization mean?

A

grabbing headlines to attract viewers as well as an emergence of partisan news reporting

139
Q

what is a dilemma that many reports face?

A

they want to report faster than anyone but also want to report accurately

140
Q

what are 2 driving forces of reporting?

A

verification and independence

141
Q

what is infortainment?

A

a mixture of news and entertainment

142
Q

how has the relationship between consumers and news reporting changed?

A

trust has gone down over the last 15 years

143
Q

what is the number one source of news today?

A

TV in the form of local news and broadcast news

144
Q

how has political polarization effected media/ political news consumption?

A

there is a great array of partisan perspectives which allows individuals to pick and choose what the read, reinforcing their biased political viewpoints

145
Q

what does “going newsless” mean?

A

many consumers simply avoid consuming news entirely

146
Q

how can news media be considered a “4th branch of government?

A

it is an institution which has enormous freedom, influence, and it serves as a safeguard against tyranny

147
Q

what does the doctrine of prior restraint say?

A

the government cannot keep/censor something from being printed

148
Q

true or false: the great majority of political news derives more from what people are saying than what people are doing

A

true (this is perhaps why political coverage gets less views)

149
Q

how do politicians use the press?

A

to improve their public image, shape public opinion, enhance electoral support and influence the behavior of fellow politicians

150
Q

what does the phrase “trial balloon” mean?

A

a political figure does not know how the public will react to an issue, so they test the waters out by bringing it up

151
Q

what are news leaks?

A

people give the press information. Sometimes this is done to undermine the president, or this could be a way of sending a “trial balloon”

152
Q

who were Woodward and Berstein?

A

reporters who reported leaked information about Watergate

153
Q

the regular feature of the government that reporters are assigned to cover

A

the beat

154
Q

what does beat reporting lead to?

A

routinization, pack journalism, and the manufacturing of news

155
Q

who receives the most coverage in the political scene

A

the president

156
Q

who receives more coverage, senators or house reps?

A

senators

157
Q

who sets the political agenda more than any other player?

A

the media

158
Q

what is priming?

A

the media sets you up to think about an issue in a certain way

159
Q

what do politician want from news coverage?

A

good publicity

160
Q

what do reporters want from politicians?

A

some thing to sell

161
Q

what is a gaff?

A

a public figure says something honest/candid and get nailed for it

162
Q

what was the presidential relationship with the press during FDR-JFK’s presidency

A

more trust and less competition among reporters fostered cordial relations

163
Q

when did press-political relationships go south?

A

LBJ- lied to the press/public regularly

164
Q

the “credibility gap” was permanently widen by what?

A

Vietnam (LBJ) and Watergate (nixon)

165
Q

what do reports focus on in campaign coverage?

A

the “horse race” the gains and losses of the candidates

166
Q

what do reports focus on in national convention coverage?

A

this had declined. No longer are conventions exciting or controversial

167
Q

what do reports focus on in presidential debate coverage?

A

who won. not necessarily what they said, but who performed better

168
Q

what is the logic/main reason for having elections?

A

elections are a mechanism for holding agents accountable to their principals

169
Q

expound on this statement: “competitive elections in which virtually all adult citizens are eligible to vote are the defining feature of modern democratic governments”

A

it is important that the vast majority of the public is eligible to vote, otherwise the system is failing to hold agents accountable and failing to give the voters their stake in politics

170
Q

who is not eligible to vote?

A

illegal immigrants, felons, institutionalized mental patients

171
Q

19th amendment

A

suffrage for women

172
Q

15th amendment

A

suffrage for african americans

173
Q

what did the 16th amendment do?

A

changed the voting age from 21 to 18

174
Q

individual factors affecting turn out:

A

1) education
2) age
3) race/ethnicity
4) income
5) marital status
6) interest
7) eficacy

175
Q

institutional factors affecting turnout

A

1) registration
2) residential mobility
3) group memberships
4) competitiveness
5) mobilization (or demobilization

176
Q

what were some of the consequences of the progressive reforms during the 3rd party system?

A

direct primaries, secret ballots, and self registration were implemented. This resulted in an overall decrease in turnout

177
Q

what do people rely on the most when deciding who to vote for?

A

party ID

178
Q

what is retrospective voting?

A

voting for a different candidate or different party based on the previous incumbent’s performance

179
Q

what do people focus on when reviewing how a president performed during office?

A

economic condition and national security

180
Q

what does it mean if someone is a single issue voter?

A

their vote is based on one issue that is very important to them (for example, abortion or gun control)

181
Q

are there short term factors that effect how someone votes?

A

yes, while people review how the president has performed as a whole, the conditions at the time of the election are very significant in shaping someone’s vote

182
Q

how does opinion leadership effect how someone votes?

A

endorsements by groups can appeal to some voters or deter others; people may choose to support a candidate based on the organizations that support the candidate.

183
Q

when do personal characteristics most effect how well a candidate does

A

during primaries

184
Q

what does it mean to be a viable candidate?

A

you have a change of winning- you are legit

185
Q

candidate presentations often ________

A

backfire

186
Q

why are debates important?

A

high viewership

187
Q

true or false: incumbents, because of their experience often out perform unknowns- at least in the first debate

A

false: the new candidate often performs much better because they have been having debates on the campaign trail and the incumbent is rusty

188
Q

what is the dominant method for campaigning

A

negative campaigning, especially in the case of ads.

189
Q

who is most effected by negative campaigning?

A

the marginal voter who cares very little about politics (more susceptible)

190
Q

what are the commonly repeated themes in campaigning ads?

A

simplicity, repetition, exaggeration, and symbolism

191
Q

no money =

A

no chance

192
Q

is money usually a deciding factor?

A

nope

193
Q

what is more important then raising lots of money?

A

name recognition (incumbents have an advantage)

194
Q

what was the ruling for buckle v. vale?

A

unlimited spending for the candidate because it is a form of speech

195
Q

how does candidate centered elections effect money on the campaign front?

A

parties are no longer the driving force in promoting their nominees; contemporary fundraising starts with the candidates themselves

196
Q

what are the 4 primary resources for campaign money?

A

the candidate
individuals
PACS
party organizations

197
Q

what kind of spending is limited? unlimited?

A

if parties coordinate their spending, there are limited to how much; if someone spends independently, they can spend as much as they want

198
Q

when does money matter more: general elections or the monition race? why?

A

in the nomination race because the press is already covering the general election (free publicity)

199
Q

who spends more: challengers or incumbents? why?

A

challengers- they are unknown

200
Q

where do candidates spend their money?

A

in swing states

201
Q

how do spending limits effect the competitiveness of a campaign race?

A

it dampens the competitiveness

202
Q

despite the generally accepted claim that the campaign finance system is flawed…….

A

changes are unlikely because there is no consensus on what would count as an improvement or how to achieve it

203
Q

what are the 3 dominant cultures in the united states?

A

1) moralistic
2) individualistic
3) traditionalistic

204
Q

which region of the united states is most individualistic?

A

the west/ lower midwest

205
Q

which region of the united states is most traditionalistic?

A

the south

206
Q

which region of the united states is most moralistic?

A

new england, upper midwest and northwest

207
Q

what is the TX culture?

A

a blend of individualistic and traditionalistic

208
Q

TX became the __ state in 1845

A

28th

209
Q

what were the “6 flags over texas”?

A 
spain
france
mexico
the republic of tx
the confederate states of america
the united states of america
210
Q

how many constitutions has texas had?

A

7

211
Q

describe the feel of the different constitutions of texas

A

they directly address the issues of the time in which they were written, rather than expressing timeless ideals/aspirations.

212
Q

describe the constitution of 1876:

A

written as an extreme reaction to the deficiencies of the constitution of 1868 as well as the perceived/real abuses of a radical republican rule

213
Q

how many amendments are there to the tx constitution?

A

474

214
Q

what is the most “powerful” branch of tx government?

A

texas legislature

215
Q

when does the tx legislature meet?

A

every other year (the odd year after an even numbered election year- during midterms)

216
Q

how long does the tx legislature meet

A

for 140 days starting in february

217
Q

what is a special session?

A

a session called by the governor of tx- limited to 30 days (governor can call an infinite number of special sessions)

218
Q

what is the composition of the tx legislature?

A

state house of representatives with 150 members and a state senate with 31 members

219
Q

what are the qualification of a member of the state house?

A

21 yrs old
registered voter
legal resident oft eh state for at least 2 years
residents of the districts fro which they are elected for at least 1 year

220
Q

what are the qualification of a member of the state senate?

A

26 yrs old
registered voter for 5 years
residents of their district for at least one year

221
Q

why is the requirement of district residency difficult for house reps?

A

redistricting

222
Q

when does redistricting take place in tx?

A

after the decennial census

223
Q

true or false: districts must be equal in population

A

false: must be roughly equal in population

224
Q

who draws the district lines

A

the legislature

225
Q

if the legislature fails to redistrict the tx house and senate, then the task falls to _______

A

the legislative redistricting board

226
Q

LRB

A

legislative redistricting board

227
Q

who makes up the LRB?

A 
lieutenant governor
speaker of the house
attorney general
controller of public accounts
commissioner of general land office
228
Q

true or false: texas has one of the “weakest chief executives in the US”

A

true

229
Q

why is the governor of TX weak?

A

the executive cabinet is plural because the governor shares power with other statewide officials

230
Q

what are the qualifications of serving as governor?

A

30 yrs old
a US citizen
a resident of tx for 5 years

231
Q

how long a governor’s term?

A

4 years

232
Q

true or false: the tx governor is limited to 2 terms

A

false: not term limits

233
Q

what is the annual salary for the tx governor?

A

150000

234
Q

what is the annual salary for a tx legislature?

A

7200

235
Q

the plural executive

A

the plural executive in tx limits the power of the governor by distributing power usually associated with the chief executive among many elected political leaders

236
Q

what are the 6 statewide elected offices?

A

1) lieutenant governor
2) attorney general
3) computer of public accounts
4) commissioner of the general land office
5) commissioner of agriculture
6) railroad commissioner

237
Q

why were tx gov. elections held on odd years?

A

on even years (general election years) republicans had an advantage

238
Q

what is at the “base” of a pyramid of courts in tx?

A

local courts: municipal courts and justice of the peace courts

239
Q

what is one level above the local courts?

A

county courts: constitutional county courts and statutory county courts

240
Q

what is above county courts?

A

district courts
courts of appeal
court of criminal appeals and supreme court

241
Q

what is the most controversial thing about the tx court system?

A

judges/justices are elected through partisan elections

242
Q

the GOP has been in the dominant position in government since ______

A

1960’s

243
Q

John Tower

A

who was the first republican governor since reconstruction

244
Q

who replaced john tower?

A

bram

245
Q

who replaced bram?

A

john cornon

246
Q

Loyd Benson

A

last democrat governor

POLS 1301 (4 decks)

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