Media

Question 1

What is the debate on the public’s effect of For Pol?

Answer 1

Do leaders carry out foreign policy regardless of public or whether public opinion affects For Pol

Question 2

Why is it normatively significant if leaders ignore public opinion of For Pol?

Answer 2

Undemocratic if public opinion ignored on matters such as war, trade and immigration.

Question 3

What did Lipset say about presidents actions in creating For Pol?

Answer 3

“The president makes opinion, he does not follow it. The polls tell him how good a politician he is”

Question 4

What theory used by Rosenau posits that news flows from the major media outlets and then on to the public?

Answer 4

The two-step flow hypothesis

Question 5

What was Rosenau’s analogy?

Answer 5

A theatre. Less than 25% of audience occupied orchestra seat. Communicated this to the auditorium. Most people can not see the actors, hear the lines or follow the plot

Question 6

What did Almond believe about For Pol and the public?

Answer 6

Most public opinion was assumed to be volatile and emotional concerning for pol. Public should be followers not shapers.

Question 7

What does Graber believe that most of the public do with For Pol news Items?

Answer 7

Avoid or ignore them

Too confusing and too remote

Question 8

What is meant by latent public opinion on For Pol

Answer 8

• Ingrained set of values, criteria, attitudes, preferences.

- Comes into play when a relevant event or proposal arises

Question 9

What needs to happen to bring latents opinion to the surface?

Answer 9

Needs to be activated

Question 10

What does Stimson say about public opinion and latency?

Answer 10

Largely latent and acquiescent as long as policies remain within a cage of acceptability

Question 11

Who says that latent opinion can constrain politcians?

Answer 11

Brace and Hinkley

Question 12

Where does the catalyst usually come from for latent opinion to turn to action?

Answer 12

Usually the elites rather than at grassroots level.

Question 13

What are the 4 strands to the political elite?

Answer 13

1. Current actors in exec branch
2. MPs
3. Interest group leaders
4. Commentators and experts (media, academia, think tanks)

Question 14

What two things have to come together in Almond’s Mood Theory

Answer 14

1. Events that threaten normal conduct of affairs or grave crises.
2. Assertive or self confident mood among public.

Question 15

What challanges are there to Almond’s mood theory?

Answer 15

• little evidence or empirical data

- Event such as Ethiopian Famine were not catastrophic for the west

Question 16

What are Zaller’s two effects that elite debate can have on public opinion?

Answer 16

Mainstream and polarisation

Question 17

What is the mainstream effect?

Answer 17

When elite consensus there will only be one set of points that will be used when forming opinions. Likely to remember consensus when they think about the policy later.

Question 18

What is Zaller’s polarisation effect

Answer 18

Lack of consensus among elites. Public will be split on the same lines as the elites.

Question 19

How does Zaller’s model apply to the Vietnam war?

Answer 19

Initially elite consensus and public support. Then elites split in opinion. Public opinion splits too and is polarised.

Question 20

Who said that elite wage wars of frames?

Answer 20

Entman

If their frame becomes the dominant way of thinking then the battle is won.

Question 21

What do Powlick and Katz say is required for activation among the broader public?

Answer 21

Something to break the attention barrier that exists for current affairs.

Question 22

Who said that the greatest mover of public opinion was the commentary and news analysis done by prominent journalists and experts.

Answer 22

Page

Question 23

What did Page say the effect of elected officials was on public opinion of for affair?

Answer 23

No persuasive effect

Possibly partisan bias robs credibility

Question 24

What was Cohen’s quote on the press?

Answer 24

the press may not be successful in telling people what to think “but it is stunningly successful at telling its readers what to think about”