gov final

Public Opinion

The public’s collective beliefs about politics.

Random Sampling

Everyone has an equal chance of being selected in a poll.

Political Attitude

A specific opinion on a political issue.

Sample

A small group selected to represent a population in a poll.

Gender Gap

Differences in political beliefs between men and women.

Straw Poll

A straw poll, in a government or political context, is an informal, non-binding survey used to gauge public opinion or test voter sentiment on issues or candidates, acting like a trial run to see which way the wind is blowing before official elections, often conducted informally by media, campaigns, or individuals. 

Honeymoon Period

High approval ratings early in a presidency.

Margin of Error

The amount a poll’s results may differ from the true population value.

Party Identification

A person’s psychological attachment to a political party.

Political Socialization

The process of forming political beliefs.

Rally-Around-the-Flag Effect

Increased public support for leaders during crises.

Issue Publics

Groups that care deeply about one issue.

Cognitive Shortcut

A quick way for people to make political decisions without much information.

Attitudes

General feelings or evaluations about people or issues.

Framing

How information is presented, shaping how people interpret it.

Political Ideology

A consistent set of beliefs about government and policy.

What is public opinion and why is it multidimensional?

Public opinion is people’s beliefs about politics; it’s multidimensional because people weigh moral, economic, and personal values differently.

What factors influence public opinion and how does partisanship distort it?

Family, education, peers, media, religion, and group identity; partisanship causes motivated reasoning, making people accept info that fits their party.

How are political values shaped?

Through political socialization by family, media, school, peers, and major life events.

How does group identity influence political opinions?

People adopt views that align with the experiences and interests of their social groups.

How does the public influence government and why does government listen?

Public opinion affects elections and policy; leaders listen to maintain legitimacy and get reelected.

How is public opinion measured and when are polls trustworthy?

Through surveys; trustworthy polls use random sampling, neutral wording, large samples, and report margin of error.

What is sampling and why does random sampling work?

Sampling surveys part of the population; random sampling works because it mirrors the population without bias.

Conventional Participation

Traditional political actions like voting.

Participation

Any political involvement or activity.

Unconventional Participation

Nontraditional acts like protests or demonstrations.

Socioeconomic Status

A person’s education, income, and occupation level.

Institutional Barrier

A rule or requirement that makes voting harder.

Single-Issue Voters

Voters who prioritize one issue above all others.

Negative Campaigning

Campaigning focused on attacking opponents.

Political Campaign

A political campaign is an organized effort which seeks to influence the decision making progress within a specific group.

Franchise

The right to vote.

Microtargeting

Targeting specific groups with tailored political messages.

Define political participation and give examples.

Political participation includes voting, protesting, volunteering, donating, or contacting officials; voting is most common.

Why does political participation matter?

It lets citizens influence government and hold leaders accountable.

When are people most likely to vote and why?

During presidential elections because they feel highly important and visible.

What factors affect voter turnout?

Age, education, income, partisanship, race, and competitiveness of the election.

What are voter turnout trends in the U.S.?

Turnout is low; older, richer, and more educated people vote most.

How does U.S. turnout compare to other nations?

Lower than in most industrialized countries.

What is the goal of a political campaign?

To win elections by persuading and mobilizing voters.

How do campaigns mobilize voters?

Through ads, canvassing, texts, phone calls, rallies, and social media.

Difference between a contribution and a bribe?

Contribution gives money without expecting a return; bribe exchanges money for a favor.

Institutional barriers + 15th, 19th, 26th amendments.

Barriers: poll taxes, literacy tests, strict ID laws. Amendments expanded voting rights to Black men, women, and 18-year-olds.

Open Primary

A primary election open to all voters regardless of party.

Duverger’s Law

Winner-take-all systems naturally lead to two major parties.

Patronage

Rewarding supporters with jobs or favors.

Closed Primary

A primary where only party members may vote.

Political Machine

Party organization that trades favors for votes.

Insider Lobbying Tactics

Direct interaction with lawmakers to influence policy.

Outsider Lobbying Tactics

Using public pressure to influence lawmakers.

Party Platform

The official positions and goals of a party.

Party Organization

The formal structure that runs the party.

Public Interest Group

An interest group that seeks policies benefiting the general public.

What is a political party and how does it influence government?

An organization that seeks to win elections and influences policy by organizing voters and coordinating officials.

Three components of a political party.

Voters: support the party; Party leadership: runs operations; Elected officials: represent the party in government.

Which parties dominate and how have they changed?

Democrats & Republicans; origins in anti-slavery and Jackson era; changed after New Deal and Civil Rights movement.

Advantages/disadvantages of a two-party system.

Pros: stability, simplicity. Cons: low representation, polarization.

How do third parties function?

They raise ignored issues and influence major party agendas.

What is polarization and recent trend?

Increasing ideological division; has risen in recent years.

What are critical elections?

Elections that shift long-term party coalitions.

Are parties centralized or decentralized?

Decentralized across national, state, and local levels.

Founders’ views of parties + Constitution.

Founders distrusted parties; Constitution never mentions them.

Role of issue publics in coalitions.

They push parties to adopt specific issues.

What is an intra-party faction?

A subgroup within a political party; common.

What is lobbying and what is a lobbyist?

Lobbying influences policymakers; a lobbyist does this professionally.

Difference between parties and interest groups.

Parties aim to win office; interest groups aim to influence policy.

What is the free rider problem?

People benefit without contributing, making it hard for groups to gain members.

Infotainment

Entertainment-style political information.

Selective Exposure

Seeking information that supports existing beliefs.

Yellow Journalism

Sensationalized, exaggerated reporting.

Market-Driven News

News shaped by audience preferences.

Journalism

The collection and reporting of news.

Agenda Setting

When media determines which issues receive public attention.

New Media

Online and digital news sources.

Hamster Wheel

Constant pressure to produce nonstop news content.

Muckraking

Investigative journalism exposing corruption.

Relationship between media, public, government.

Media informs the public and holds government accountable while government uses media to communicate.

Role of the media in informing the public.

Provides news, analysis, and watchdog reporting.

How market forces shape news.

Sensationalism and speed increase at the expense of accuracy.

Trends in media viewership.

Young people use social media, older people watch TV, newspapers declining.

Business model impact on content.

News becomes sensational to keep viewers watching.

Mechanisms/laws regulating media.

FCC rules, equal-time rule, libel laws, First Amendment.

How U.S. media differs from other nations.

More freedom of press; less government control than many countries.

Agenda setting vs priming vs framing.

Agenda: what to think about; Priming: how we judge leaders; Framing: how the issue is presented.

Yellow Journalism vs Muckraking.

Yellow = sensational; Muckraking = investigative truth-seeking.

How Watergate changed media.

Increased investigative journalism and skepticism.

Other media biases besides ideology.

Negativity, drama, conflict, personalization, simplification.

When is persuasion most effective?

Credible source, emotional/simple message, uninformed or undecided audience.

How politicians bypass the press.

Social media, advertising, emails, direct communication.

Referendum

direct vote by people on a specific policy issue

Initiative

one citizen vote on new laws without legislative approval

Recall

voters can remove an elected official from office before the end of their term