polisci quiz 3

liberty

freedom from governmental control

justice

the fairness of how rewards and punishments are delivered, especially by governments and courts, but also in society

equality of opportunity

a widely shared American ideal that all people should have the freedom to use whatever talents and wealth they have to reach their fullest potential

political ideology

 cohesive set of beliefs that forms a general philosophy about the role of government

attitude (or opinion)

a specific preference on a particular issue

liberal

today this term refers to those who generally support social and political reform, governmental intervention in the economy, more economic equality, expansion of federal social services, and greater concern for consumers and the environment

conservative

today this term refers to those who generally support the social and economic status quo and are suspicious of efforts to introduce new political formulas and economic arrangements; conservatives believe that a large and powerful government poses a threat to citizens’ freedom

libertarian

someone who emphasizes freedom and believes in voluntary association with small government

socialist

someone who generally believes in social ownership, strong government, free markets, and a reduction in economic inequality

political socialization

The induction of individuals into the political culture; learning the underlying beliefs and values on which the political system is based

agents of socialization

social institutions, including families and schools, that help to shape individuals’ basic political beliefs and values

gender gap

a distinctive pattern of voting behavior reflecting the differences in views between women and men

public-opinion polls

scientific instruments for measuring public opinion

sample

a small group selected by researchers to represent the most important characteristics of an entire population

simple random sample (or probability sample)

a method used by pollsters to select a representative sample in which every individual in the population has an equal probability of being selected as a respondent

random digit dialing

a polling method in which respondents are selected at random from a list of 10-digit telephone numbers, with every effort made to avoid bias in the construction of the sample

sampling error (or margin of error)

polling error that arises based on the small size of the sample

social desirability bias

The effect that results when respondents in a survey answer questions in a way that will be viewed favorably by others; can lead to overreporting good behavior or socially acceptable answers, or underreporting socially undesirable behavior or answers

selection bias

polling error that arises when the sample is not representative of the population being studied, which creates errors in overrepresenting or underrepresenting some opinions

bandwagon effect

a shift in electoral support to the candidate whom public-opinion polls report as the front-runner

media

print and digital forms of communication—including television, newspapers, radio, the internet, and social media sites—that convey information to large audiences

principled journalism

reporting that involves being as accurate, fair, and balanced as possible, relying on original sources, being transparent about citing sources, and presenting multiple viewpoints

adversarial journalism

a form of reporting in which the media adopt a skeptical or hostile posture toward the government and public officials

citizen journalism

news reporting and political commentary by ordinary citizens and bystanders, advocacy groups, and eyewitnesses to crises, often using cell phone images or video and distributed via social media

opinion-driven journalism

political blogs and talk shows where the writer or host provides highly opinionated personal commentary, usually through conversations with guests; these formats blur the boundaries between objective journalism and subjective reporting

journalism of assertion

the publishing or broadcasting of information or opinion as quickly as possible, with minimal fact-checking

journalism of affirmation

the putting forth of opinion and information that is consistent with the consumer’s preexisting beliefs

media monopolies

giant, often global, corporations that control a wide array of media, including television networks, movie studios, record companies, cable channels, book and newspaper publishers, and digital media outlets

agenda setting

the media’s designation of some issues, events, or people as important and others not

framing

the process of presenting information from a certain perspective in order to shape the audience’s understanding of that information

priming

The process of calling attention to some issues, and not others, when reporting on political events and officials

mainstream news organizations

organizations that adhere to the principles of journalism by doing original, balanced, factual reporting; using unpaid, credible sources; conducting interviews ethically; and avoiding personal bias by editors or reporters

partisan media

news organizations that mix opinion-driven journalism with factual reporting in order to appeal to consumers who are ideologically liberal or conservative; often characterized by ideological agenda setting, priming, and framing

broadcast media

communication methods such as television and radio; they tend to take the form of one publisher (e.g., a television station) to many (viewers)

news websites

digital sites that are owned and managed by newspapers, follow the principles of journalism, and deliver content like that of print newspapers, with similar story layout for all users

news aggregators

websites that pull together news from a wide range of online sources and make them available on one platform or page; news aggregators can be a way to avoid partisan or filtered news, providing a broad overview of the news of the day from many sources

algorithms

software programs that analyze the viewing, liking, and commenting data of all of a platform’s users, as well as individual users’ prior data, to present users with additional content tailored to their individual interests instead of ordering posts based on the most recently published (as broadcast media do)

confirmation bias

the tendency to favor information that confirms a person’s existing beliefs; it involves discounting evidence that could disprove or challenge those beliefs

filter bubbles

partisan media environments in which users are exposed primarily to opinions and information that conform to their existing beliefs; constructed by algorithms that analyze and then personalize each user’s online experience

misinformation

false, inaccurate, or misleading information in the media, especially social media; often targeting political candidates and leaders, misinformation can include manipulated or fabricated content, satire, and parody content to the public

disinformation

misinformation with the intention to deceive (is not an accident)

equal time rule

the requirement that broadcasters provide candidates for the same political office with equal opportunities to communicate their messages to the public

right of rebuttal

a Federal Communications Commission regulation giving individuals the right to respond to personal attacks made on a radio or television broadcast