PS102 Final Exam Study Guide

Question 1

Citizens’ attitudes about political issues, personalities, institutions, and events.

Answer 1

Public opinion

Question 2

A process in which individuals take on their communities’ perspectives and preferences through social interactions.

Answer 2

Socialization

Question 3

A person who generally believes that social institutions (such as churches and corporations) and the free market solve problems better than governments do, that a large and powerful government poses a threat to citizens’ freedom, and that the appropriate role of government is to uphold traditional values.

Answer 3

Conservative ideology

Question 4

An individual’s self-conception and sense of belonging based on their political beliefs, values, and affiliations.

Answer 4

Identity politics

Question 5

Is the collective opinion on a specific topic or voting intention relevant to society. It is the people’s views on matters affecting them.

Answer 5

Race/gender/religion/geography and public opinion

Question 6

The power of the media to focus public attention on particular issues.

Answer 6

Media Effect: Agenda Setting

Question 7

Is a scientific survey method designed to measure the public’s views on a specific topic or series of topics.

Answer 7

Public opinion poll sample

Question 8

A type of error that occurs when the participants in a study are not representative of the target population.

Answer 8

Selection bias

Question 9

Measures the percentage of voters that have actually taken part in the election (proportion of eligible voters who actually cast a vote).

Answer 9

Elections and voter turnout

Question 10

An electoral format that presents the names of all the candidates for any given office on the same ballot.

Answer 10

Australian ballot

Question 11

The process of redrawing the boundaries of electoral districts to reflect changes in population and ensure fair representation.

Answer 11

Redistricting

Question 12

The drawing of electoral districts in such a way as to give advantage to one political party

Answer 12

Gerrymandering

Question 13

A direct vote by the electorate on a proposed law that has been passed by the legislature or on a specific governmental action

Answer 13

Referendum

Question 14

Refer to the trends and behaviors exhibited by different groups of voters in elections, reflecting their preferences and decisions.

Answer 14

Voting patterns and nonvoters

Question 15

Voting based on the past performance of a candidate or party.

Answer 15

Retrospective

Question 16

An organized group that attempts to control the government by electing its members to office.

Answer 16

Political parties

Question 17

The process by which political parties select their candidates for election to public office.

Answer 17

Nominating candidates

Question 18

A primary election in which only those voters who have registered their affiliation with the party by a specified time before the election can participate

Answer 18

Closed primary

Question 19

Organize people to contest elections and set political agendas and policies to promote common interests, concerns, and goals.

Answer 19

Functions of parties

Question 20

An individual’s attachment to a particular political party, may be based on issues, ideology, past experience, upbringing, or a mixture of these elements.

Answer 20

Americans’ party identification (ethnicity/gender/income/age)

Question 21

Political organizations that operate alongside the dominant two parties in a political system.

Answer 21

Third parties

Question 22

An organized group of people that attempt to influence governmental policies. Also called lobby.

Answer 22

Interest group

Question 23

The financial or material well-being of individuals or groups, and are organizations that advocate for the economic interests of their members.

Answer 23

Economic interests

Question 24

The coordinated effort of a group of individuals or organizations to achieve a shared goal or address a common issue, often involving the pooling of resources and efforts to amplify their impact, typically through political or social means.

Answer 24

Collective action

Question 25

Benefits that do not go to everyone but, rather, are distributed selectively – to only those who contribute to the group enterprise.

Answer 25

Selective benefits

Question 26

Means of communication that reach the public, including newspapers and magazines, radio, television (broadcast, cable, and satellite), films, recordings, books.

Answer 26

The media

Question 27

CBS, CNN, Fox News

Answer 27

Main news sources for Americans

Question 28

___ occurs when journalists and news producers show bias in how they report and cover news. A tendency to believe that some people, ideas, etc., are better than others that usually results in treating some people unfairly.

Answer 28

Journalism and bias

Question 29

A person, organization, or thing that provides information to journalists for news stories.

Answer 29

News sources

Question 30

The main means of mass communication (broadcasting, publishing, and the Internet), collective communication outlets/tools to store and deliver information/data.

Answer 30

The media and conflict

Question 31

A legal entity that is separate and distinct from its owners (shareholders). This means that the ________ can own property, enter contracts, and be held liable for debts independently of its owners.

Answer 31

Corporations and the media

Question 32

Individuals who are in charge of government institutions that are considered important policy makers.

Answer 32

Foreign policy actors

Question 33

A group, other than a nation-state, that attempts to plat a role in the international system.

Answer 33

Non-state actors

Question 34

The desire to avoid involvement in the affairs of other nations

Answer 34

Isolationism

Question 35

The period of struggle between the United States and the Soviet Union, occurring from the late 1940s to about 1990.

Answer 35

Cold War

Question 36

A policy designed to limit the political and military expansion of a hostile power.

Answer 36

Containment

Question 37

The development and maintenance of military strength as a means of discouraging attack.

Answer 37

Deterrence

Question 38

The effort to avoid war by giving in to the demands of a hostile power.

Answer 38

Appeasement

Question 39

The strategies and actions a nation uses to manage its relationships with other countries and international entities.

Answer 39

Foreign policy makers

Question 40

The assistance given by one country to another, typically in the form of financial aid, technical assistance, or other resources.

Answer 40

Foreign aid

Question 41

The total amount of money spent by countries around the globe on their militaries

Answer 41

World military expenditures

Question 42

A person who generally believes that the government should play an active role in supporting social and political change and generally supports a strong role for the government in the economy, the provision of social services, and the protection of civil rights.

Answer 42

liberal ideology

Question 43

The use of media coverage to make the public take a particular view of an event or a public figure.

Answer 43

Media Effect: Priming

Question 44

The influence of the media over how events and issues are interpreted.

Answer 44

Media Effect: framing

Question 45

A process by which citizens may petition to place a policy proposal on the ballot for public vote.

Answer 45

Initiative

Question 46

Voting is based on the imagined future performance of the candidate.

Answer 46

Prospective voting

Question 47

A primary election in which voters can choose on the day of the primary which party’s primary to vote in.

Answer 47

Open primary