Political Science Midterm 1

Define public opinion.

The collective attitudes and beliefs of individuals on political issues, leaders, institutions, and events.

Why is public opinion difficult to know?

People often lack stable, detailed, or consistent opinions; responses vary with wording, timing, and method.

What is a baseline poll?

An initial poll to measure candidate support at the start of a campaign.

What is a trend poll?

Repeated polls over time to track changes in opinion.

What is a tracking poll?

Continuous polling (daily/weekly) to measure short-term shifts in opinion.

What is an exit poll?

Surveys of voters leaving polling places to predict winners and analyze demographics.

What are focus groups?

Small, diverse groups used for in-depth discussions about opinions.

What is a push poll?

A biased poll designed to spread negative information and sway voters.

Why is public opinion not well-formed or consistent?

People lack full info, shift opinions, and may give contradictory answers.

Why is there a polling industry in the U.S.?

Campaigns, media, and governments want quick measures of public views.

What makes sampling difficult today?

Cell phone use, caller ID screening, and low response rates.

Why are non-response rates problematic?

Non-responders may differ systematically, skewing results.

How does method of interviewing impact responses?

Phone, online, or in-person interviews influence honesty and accuracy (e.g., social desirability bias).

What factors make it hard for the U.S. system to solve problems quickly?

Separation of powers, checks and balances, federalism, and divided government.

What are Robert Dahl’s 5 essential features of democracy?

1) Effective participation, 2) Equality in voting, 3) Enlightened understanding, 4) Control of agenda, 5) Inclusion.

What are the 7 requirements for free and fair elections?

Equal voting rights, regular elections, competitive candidates, free speech/media, secret ballot, transparent process, acceptance of results.

How has money raised concerns about fairness in U.S. elections?

Wealthy donors and interest groups have outsized influence.

How did Citizens United v. FEC (2008) impact elections?

Allowed unlimited corporate/union spending on independent political ads (Super PACs).

What media concerns affect U.S. elections?

Misinformation, bias, unequal candidate coverage, concentration of media ownership.

What other reasons may U.S. elections not be “free and fair”?

Voter suppression, gerrymandering, barriers to registration/voting.

What values do democratic structures depend on?

Rule of law, accountability, participation, equality, legitimacy.

What are three bases for government legitimacy?

Tradition, charisma, and rational-legal authority.

Why is legitimacy in democracy important?

Ensures public trust, compliance with laws, and stability.

Why has trust in government declined?

Scandals, polarization, inequality, poor performance, war/economic crises.

Give four examples of electoral participation.

Voting, donating money, volunteering, attending rallies.

What are the four dimensions of participation?

Amount, variety, equality, direction of participation.

What is participatory distortion?

When some groups participate more than others, skewing representation.

Why do Americans vote less than other democracies?

Registration barriers, weekday elections, weaker party mobilization, voter apathy.

What individual factors impact participation?

Age, SES, race/ethnicity, sex, political efficacy.

What is political efficacy?

Belief that one’s political participation matters; usually higher among educated, wealthier, older groups.

What contextual factors impact participation?

Election laws, competitiveness, mobilization efforts, social networks.

What laws have made voting easier?

Motor Voter Act, early voting, mail-in ballots.

What laws have made voting more difficult?

Voter ID laws, limited polling places, restrictions on early/absentee voting.

Why do people engage in unconventional participation?

To draw attention when normal channels feel ineffective.

Give examples when unconventional participation worked.

Civil rights movement, women’s suffrage, anti-war protests.

What are types of unconventional participation?

Protests, demonstrations, boycotts, sit-ins, strikes, political violence.

Who is most likely to engage in unconventional participation?

Younger, marginalized, politically alienated, or highly motivated individuals.

What explains unconventional participation?

Opportunities, recruitment by networks, motivation, group identity.

What are social networks, and why do they matter?

Connections among people that spread information and recruit participants.

When does social group membership matter more for politics?

When identity is strongly tied to shared political issues or grievances.

How do Americans feel about political violence?

Generally disapprove, but some justify it under extreme circumstances.