The Politics of Public Opinion

Question 1

agent of political socialization

Answer 1

a person or entity that teaches and influences others about politics through use of information

Question 2

bandwagon effect

Answer 2

increased media coverage of candidates who poll high

Question 3

Bradley effect

Answer 3

the difference between a poll result and an election result in which voters gave a socially desirable poll response rather than a true response that might be perceived as racist

Question 4

classical liberalism

Answer 4

a political ideology based on belief in individual liberties and rights and the idea of free will, with little role for government

Question 5

communism

Answer 5

a political and economic system in which, in theory, government promotes common ownership of all property, means of production, and materials to prevent the exploitation of workers while creating an equal society; in practice, most communist governments have used force to maintain control

Question 5

covert content

Answer 5

ideologically slanted information presented as unbiased information in order to influence public opinion

Question 6

diffuse support

Answer 6

the widespread belief that a country and its legal system are legitimate

Question 7

fascism

Answer 7

a political system of total control by the ruling party or political leader over the economy, the military, society, and culture and often in private lives of citizens

Question 8

favorability poll

Answer 8

a public opinion poll that measures a public’s positive feelings about a candidate or politician

Question 9

heuristics

Answer 9

shortcuts or generalizations for decision making

Question 10

horserace coverage

Answer 10

day-to-day media coverage of candidate performance in the election

Question 11

leading question

Answer 11

a question worded to lead a respondent to give a desired answer

Question 12

margin of error

Answer 12

a number that states how far the poll results may be from the actual preferences of the total population of citizens

Question 13

modern conservatism

Answer 13

a political ideology that prioritizes individual liberties, preferring a smaller government that stays out of the economy

Question 14

modern liberalism

Answer 14

a political ideology focused on equality and supporting government intervention in society and the economy if it promotes equality

Question 15

over content

Answer 15

political information whose author makes clear that only one side is presented

Question 16

political culture

Answer 16

the prevailing political attitudes and beliefs within a society or region

Question 17

political elite

Answer 17

a political opinion leader who alerts the public to changes or problems

Question 18

political socialization

Answer 18

the process of learning the norms and practices of a political system through others and societal institutions

Question 19

public opinion

Answer 19

a collection of opinions of an individual or a group of individuals on a topic, person, or event

Question 20

push poll

Answer 20

politically biased campaign information presented as a poll in order to change minds

Question 21

random sample

Answer 21

a limited number of people from the overall population selected in such a way that each has an equal chance of being chosen

Question 22

representative sample

Answer 22

a group of respondents demographically similar to the population of interest

Question 23

socialism

Answer 23

a political and economic system in which government uses its authority to promote social and economic equality, providing everyone with basic services and equal opportunities and requiring citizens with more wealth to contribute more

Question 24

straw poll

Answer 24

an informal and unofficial poll conducted with a non-random population

Question 25

theory of delegate representation

Answer 25

a theory that assumes the politician is in office to be the voice of the people and to vote only as the people want

Question 26

traditional conservatism

Answer 26

a political ideology supporting the authority of the monarchy and the church in the belief that government provides the rule of law