Janiskee Ch. 3

Question 1

The relative interest of mass and elite publics determines the saliency of an issue. The more salient the issue, the ______ likely a political leader is to follow a public opinion.

Answer 1

more

Question 2

Issues in which neither the elite nor the mass public is interested are known as _____________ issues.

Answer 2

low-saliency

Question 3

Public interest in a particular issue is often cyclical. What is this cycle?

Answer 3

The attention cycle

Question 4

3 stages of the attention cycle:

Answer 4

1. Crisis stage: brings attention by labeling as “crisis”
2. Legislative consideration: when something actually starts happening
3. Final stage

Question 5

What happens in the final stage of the attention cycle?

Answer 5

One of 3 things:

1. the public loses interest and crisis subdues
2. the public comes to the opinion that the “cure” would be worse than the “disease” and legislation dies
3. the issue is passed into law

Question 6

What is muckraking?

Answer 6

It involves the exposure of corrupt practices in business and in government

Question 7

Yellow journalism:

Answer 7

Is concerned with bizarre supernatural phenomena, celebrity gossip, or worldwide conspiracies.
*also called tabloid journalism

Question 8

The most fundamental political ideologies are between ___________ and _____________.

Answer 8

Conservatives and liberals

Question 9

Conservatives believe…

Liberals believe…..

Answer 9

Conservatives: traditional ideas of individual freedom and responsibility; equal ability to make decisions based on commonsense morality
Liberals: deny such commonsense morality; the need to be “liberated” from traditions