Public Opinion and the Media Flashcards
What is the Equal Protection Clause
a clause in Section 1 of the Fourteenth Amendment that prohibits the government from denying any person equal protection under the law
What are Jim Crow laws
a set of laws used to discriminate against African Americans and deny rights to newly freed slaves after the Civil War. The name “Jim Crow” came from a minstrel routine, “Jump Jim Crow,” that turned into a derogatory term for African Americans.
What is disenfranchisement
being denied the right to vote
What are the Civil War Amendments
the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments, which were added to the Constitution after the Civil War; these amendments ended slavery, provided equal protection under the law, and granted voting rights to men of color
What is the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA)
an unratified amendment to the U.S. Constitution, proposed in 1972, that would require equal treatment for all citizens regardless of sex. The original date of ratification by at least 38 states was March 1979; 35 states ratified it. The ERA is still considered by some to be ratifiable, although it is not universally accepted that this is constitutional.
What determines the outcome of the rational basis test
If there is a reason for treating some people differently, the act or law is acceptable
What determines the outcome of the intermediate scrutiny test
It requires demonstration that treating men and women differently is “substantially related to an important governmental objective”
What is DOMA
Excluded a same-sex partner from the definition of spouse as that term is used in federal statutes
What is the Respect for Marriage Act
Signed by Biden in 2022. Repeals DOMA
What is United States v. Windsor (2013)
Supreme Court ruled that DOMA’s definition of marriage between one man & one woman was unconstitutional and that it violated the 5th amendment of due process
What is Obergefell v. Hodges (2015)
combined several lawsuits against same sex marriage bans in various states.
Supreme Court rules the 14th Amendment’s due process clause guarantees marriage as a fundamental liberty
What is Griswold v. Connecticut (1965)
Until the Supreme Court’s ruling in Griswold, it was a crime to use birth control or to provide advice about birth control in Connecticut
What is Roe v. Wade (1973)
Supreme Court struck down a Texas law that limited abortion to only when the mother’s life was endangered
The court extended the idea of reproductive privacy in the earlier case of Griswold to include accessing an abortion
What is Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992)
Casey involved Pennsylvania laws that restricted access to abortions..
As long as a state’s restrictions did not impose an “undue burden” on women, they were constitutionally allowed
What is Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization (2022)
Dobbs challenged the constitutionality of Mississippi’s law banning almost all abortions after 15 weeks.
Supreme Court over-turned its decision in Roe v Wade
What is mass media
types of technology that communicate to large numbers—a mass—of people; present-day mass media include newspapers, radio, broadcast and cable television, films, magazines, compact discs, podcasts, and many forms of social media
What is hypodermic theory
a model of communications suggesting that an intended message is directly received (“injected”) and wholly accepted by the receiver
What is minimal effects theory
the idea that the media have little effect on citizens.
Two-Step Flow of Information:
One person consumes the news then shares this information to friends and those friends only listen to people they agree with leaving a diminished effect of the media through conversation.
What is cultivation theory
the idea that media presents a version of reality that eventually cultivates a worldview generally accepted by the population
What is framing
the process of giving a news story a specific context or background
What is priming
the process of predisposing media readers or viewers to think and act a particular way
What is agenda setting
the ability of powerful media to focus public attention on particular issues or topics via strength of its coverage
What is pack journalism
a style of journalism in which all journalists cover the same issues and stories rather than seeking out their own stories
What is an example of “framing”
Support for affirmative action depending on how it’s framed such as
Frame A - Reparations for Past Injustices
Frame B - Reverse Discrimination
What is a positive affect of Mass Media
can act as a Watchdog and keep an eye on public officials
What is broadcast media
TV and radio stations regulated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
What is prior restraint
the legal suppression of speech or media coverage prior to public speaking or publication; a form of censorship; the First Amendment significantly limits prior restraint (that is, favors freedom of speech and the press).
What is equal-time rule
a provision of the 1934 Communications Act; this federal rule requires broadcasters to provide equal opportunities for airtime and advertising to all legally qualified candidates for the same office.
What is fairness doctrine
a federal rule, repealed in 1987, that required media broadcasters to provide balanced airtime to all sides of an issue.
What is muckraking
the process of journalists seeking out information on scandals or misconduct in government, politics, or business
What are sunshine laws
a law that mandates government proceedings and meeting documents be made available to the public
What is Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
a 1967 act that requires the executive branch of the U.S. government to provide information requested by citizens; a “sunshine law” that allows citizens to know what the government does
What does the FCC require radio stations to get
to apply for licenses and they are only granted if stations follow certain rules including limiting advertising, providing a public forum for discussion, and serving local and minority communities
What are sunshine laws
laws that require government proceedings and documents be made available to the public which some people believe open access allows democracy to flourish
What types of activities are less likely now from Branzburg v. Hayes
Whistleblowers leaking information to the media since journalists find it more difficult to protect their sources
What is political socialization
the process by which we are trained to understand and join a country’s political world. Tells us we are influenced by the political views of our parents
What is a gender gap
the marked differences in political opinion between men and women
What is political culture
shared political attitudes, values, and beliefs
What are political elites
a community or political leader who shapes or even dominates public opinion by providing information to citizens and fostering political strategy
What is a bandwagon effect
a tendency by the media to increase coverage of candidates who win primary elections and caucuses early on in the presidential nomination process
What is horse-race journalism
the common media practice of following the leading candidates every move and polling numbers throughout a presidential campaign
What is collective (mass) public opinion
the opinion of an entire group; also referred to as the “public mood”
What is a mandate
in politics, the authority and influence an elected official gains by virtue of substantial popular support; a politician with an electoral mandate has confidence to push for their desired policies, often what they campaigned on.
What are the 2 methods citizens use to form an opinion about an issue or candidate
heuristics and research
How do prevailing political conditions influence socialization
Actions taken in the political arena influenced your beliefs in this situation.
Example -
You grew up during the civil rights movement so today you consider protesting the government the most effective form of political participation.
What do liberals want
larger government to promote EQUALITY.
want more government laws, higher taxes, welfare, to ensure equality
What do conservatives want
want smaller government for more FREEDOM
want less government laws, low taxes, let individuals & businesses have freedom
What do progressives want
the MOST Equality
free college, living wage for all, tax wealthy people, climate change
What do Libertarians want
the MOST Liberty or Freedom
Oppose all government subsidies, welfare, and regulation of firearms, businesses. No IRS or income tax
What is Classical Liberalism
Believes in individual rights, liberties, freedom
Views government with suspicion, rejects government intervention
Found Father or Framers believed this
What is Modern Liberalism
Believes that government should promote equality first in laws and actions, Wants larger government, higher taxes, for more equality, welfare, and economic control over private business
What is Traditional Conservatives
Use traditional religious beliefs to justify political beliefs on laws and government. Values personal freedom first with low taxes and regulation over business, less welfare and government spending.
Against unlimited abortion rights and is for traditional marriage
What are Modern Conservatives
Similar beliefs to Traditional Conservatives but do not use religious beliefs to justify their political beliefs
What is authoritarianism
Government leaders control many factors. These include politics, the military, the economy, social life, and government.
What is communism
There is communal ownership of all property and materials. There is no private property or for-profit enterprises. There are no guarantees of civil liberties and civil rights.
What is fascism
There is total control of a country by the ruling party of the dictator. Opposition to the regime is eliminated with violence. Individual interests are less important. There is a focus on the collective good of the nation or race.
What is socialism
Government leaders pass laws to promote social and economic equality. They do so by raising taxes. They also nationalize private industries and run those industries as government agencies. Government control of the economy depends on how much of the total economy has been nationalized.
