Media Flashcards
What is the debate on the public’s effect of For Pol?
Do leaders carry out foreign policy regardless of public or whether public opinion affects For Pol
Why is it normatively significant if leaders ignore public opinion of For Pol?
Undemocratic if public opinion ignored on matters such as war, trade and immigration.
What did Lipset say about presidents actions in creating For Pol?
“The president makes opinion, he does not follow it. The polls tell him how good a politician he is”
What theory used by Rosenau posits that news flows from the major media outlets and then on to the public?
The two-step flow hypothesis
What was Rosenau’s analogy?
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
What did Almond believe about For Pol and the public?
Most public opinion was assumed to be volatile and emotional concerning for pol. Public should be followers not shapers.
What does Graber believe that most of the public do with For Pol news Items?
Avoid or ignore them
Too confusing and too remote
What is meant by latent public opinion on For Pol
- Ingrained set of values, criteria, attitudes, preferences.
- Comes into play when a relevant event or proposal arises
What needs to happen to bring latents opinion to the surface?
Needs to be activated
What does Stimson say about public opinion and latency?
Largely latent and acquiescent as long as policies remain within a cage of acceptability
Who says that latent opinion can constrain politcians?
Brace and Hinkley
Where does the catalyst usually come from for latent opinion to turn to action?
Usually the elites rather than at grassroots level.
What are the 4 strands to the political elite?
- Current actors in exec branch
- MPs
- Interest group leaders
- Commentators and experts (media, academia, think tanks)
What two things have to come together in Almond’s Mood Theory
- Events that threaten normal conduct of affairs or grave crises.
- Assertive or self confident mood among public.
What challanges are there to Almond’s mood theory?
- little evidence or empirical data
- Event such as Ethiopian Famine were not catastrophic for the west
What are Zaller’s two effects that elite debate can have on public opinion?
Mainstream and polarisation
What is the mainstream effect?
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.
What is Zaller’s polarisation effect
Lack of consensus among elites. Public will be split on the same lines as the elites.
How does Zaller’s model apply to the Vietnam war?
Initially elite consensus and public support. Then elites split in opinion. Public opinion splits too and is polarised.
Who said that elite wage wars of frames?
Entman
If their frame becomes the dominant way of thinking then the battle is won.
What do Powlick and Katz say is required for activation among the broader public?
Something to break the attention barrier that exists for current affairs.
Who said that the greatest mover of public opinion was the commentary and news analysis done by prominent journalists and experts.
Page
What did Page say the effect of elected officials was on public opinion of for affair?
No persuasive effect
Possibly partisan bias robs credibility
What was Cohen’s quote on the press?
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”
