Test Two Flashcards
- What is the political socialization? Identify different agencies of socialization and their impacts. Give examples.
• Political Socialization shapes individual political views
• Agencies of socialization
o Involuntary = social groups: gender, race, school, family, friends, and significant events in politics.
o Voluntary = Professional association: unions, political parties
- How public opinion is measured? What is a sampling error and what constitutes a good sample? Describe some common problems of polling.
• Traditionally measuring = Measure of applause, counting newspaper editorials, talking to people on the street, taking polls of gathering of people
• Today measuring = Public opinion polling
o Representative sample size: equal chance of being selected
o Reflects major elements of the larger population: race, gender, socioeconomic, standing (in schools), age
o Sampling error = Margin of error: difference between observed results and population
• Lower % is better = bigger sample size
• Most accepted is 5% but allows up to 10%
Traditionally measuring
Measure of applause, counting newspaper editorials, talking to people on the street, taking polls of gathering of people
Today measuring
Public opinion polling
Representative sample size
equal chance of being selected
o Reflects major elements of the larger population: race, gender, socioeconomic, standing (in schools), age
Sampling error
Margin of error: difference between observed results and population
• Lower % is better = bigger sample size
• Most accepted is 5% but allows up to 10%
Problems of Polling:
o Bandwagon = shift in support due to popularity
o Illusion of Saliency = the polls portray something important to the public, when its not.
o Push Polling = Technique designed to measure someone’s opinion but to influence it.
Bandwagon
= shift in support due to popularity
Illusion of Saliency
= the polls portray something important to the public, when its not.
Push Polling
= Technique designed to measure someone’s opinion but to influence it.
Describe different ways in which the media can influence politics including agenda setting, framing, and priming. Give examples.
Media can influence by:
• Agenda Setting: Power of media to bring public attention to particular issues and events. (WHAT)
o Media → public agenda → policy
o White woman who pretended to be black, was the leader of NAACP
• Framing: Power of the media to influence HOW specific events and issues are interpreted.
o Report only negative (or positive) i.e. interview a bystander with that particular view trying to be conveyed.
• Priming: Media affects the way public evaluates political leaders, issues, events, and government institutions.
o September 11, 2001, the US economy
Agenda Setting
Agenda Setting: Power of media to bring public attention to particular issues and events. (WHAT)
o Media → public agenda → policy
o White woman who pretended to be black, was the leader of NAACP
Framing
Framing: Power of the media to influence HOW specific events and issues are interpreted.
o Report only negative (or positive) i.e. interview a bystander with that particular view trying to be conveyed.
Priming
Priming: Media affects the way public evaluates political leaders, issues, events, and government institutions.
o September 11, 2001, the US economy
Despite wide freedom, the press has to adhere to some regulations. Describe different regulations that the Federal government has imposed on the media.
• Press Regulations by federal government (FCC = Federal Communication Commission) hand out fines
• Less regulations on print media
• TV and Radio = more regulations
o Equal time Rule = Broadcasters provides candidates for the same political office equal opportunity to communicate their message to the public
o Rights of Rebuttal = individuals have the opportunity to respond to personal attacks made on radio or TV broadcast.
o Fairness Doctrine = Broadcasts who aired programs on controversial issues provide time and space for opposing views.
Equal time Rule
Equal time rule = Broadcasters provides candidates for the same political office equal opportunity to communicate their message to the public
Rights of Rebuttal
Rights of Rebuttal = individuals have the opportunity to respond to personal attacks made on radio or TV broadcast.
Fairness Doctrine
Fairness Doctrine = Broadcasts who aired programs on controversial issues provide time and space for opposing views.
Describe different types of elections, their purposes and how Californians vote differently in general, primary, and special elections.
Primary Election: Chooses who will be in the General Election – held every two years.
• Closed Election: Register with political party to participate in the vote. Don’t register = don’t vote
• Open Election: Doesn’t need to register to vote, can vote for any party (ruled unconstitutional)
General Election: Elect our representative – held every two years.
Special Election: Elections held for Referendum, Recall, or Pass Initiative – Occurs on a needed basis, costs lots of money, will usually piggy back on other (General) elections, on average every two years.
• Referendum: Power for public to vote on a piece of legislation that is has passed or is in progress.
• Recall: To recall a public official before their term’s expired.
• Pass Initiative: Power given to public to collect signatures to put a proposition on the ballet so people can vote directly to make it a law.
