Polyside StudyGuide - Exam III (Final)

Public Opinion

Collective belief or opinion of the people on politics, policy, and gov which shapes elections, policy decisions, & how the gov. responds

Individualism

Belief that ppl should take care of themselves, not rely heavily on the gov.

Political Culture

The shared political values, beliefs, & norms of a society

Political Ideology

A person’s political belief system (what gov should/nt do)

Liberal

More gov in the economy, supports change & equality

Conservative

Less gov intervention, traditional values, free market

Libertarian

Leave ppl alone, minimal gov in ALL areas

Sample

Small groups selected for a poll to represent everyone

Confidence Level

How certain we are that poll is accurate for true population

Margin of Error

How much poll numbers might be wrong by (smaller # = more accurate)

Libel

Written defamation (false statements) to ruin one’s reputation (illegal)

Slander

Spoken defamation(false statements) to damage a person's reputation (illegal)

Mass Media

Communication that reaches many people (TV, Newspaper, radio, etc.)

Policy Agenda

Set of issues that the gov is (& public) is paying attention to (to solve)

Priming

Media sets how we evaluate / think about leaders & issues

Framing

Media shaping / influencing how we interpret / think about an issue

Agenda Setting

Media determines which topics are important— telling us what to care about (by deciding what to cover)

Gatekeepers

Editors/reporters who control what news / info gets released or ignored

Sound Bite

Short clip / quote used by media to convey a message (usually political)

Interest Groups

Groups that try to influence gov policy for their members intrest

Lobbying

Direct attempts to influence gov. decisions

Inside Lobbying

Direct communication w/ gov officials (inside the gov— emails, testimony, meetings)

Outside Lobbying

Mobilizing public pressure to pressure the gov. (ads, protests, petitions)

Private Interest Group

Benefits their members (ex: unions)

Public Interest Groups

Aim to benefit society broadly (ex: environmental groups)

Free Rider Problem

When ppl benefit from a group’s work w/out joining / contributing, weakening the group

Selective Benefits

Benefits only for members

Material Benefits

Money / Jobs / Discounts (Tangible, physical benefits w/ value)

Solidarity Benefits

Belonging / social rewards

Purposive Benefits

Achieving a shared goal / cause

Selective, Material, Solidarity, Purposive Benefits

Reasons ppl join groups: stuff, belonging, purpose

Issue Networks

Fluid alliances of experts, lobbyists, bureaucrats, & interest groups shaping policy on specific issues

Bureaucracy

Gov agencies that implement laws and create rules (run gov day-to-day)

Hatch Act

Limits fed employees’ political activity to prevent gov influence on elections (gov workers can’t campaign in their official role)

Iron Triangles

Policy-making relationship: Interest groups + Congress + Bureaucracies (closed relationship)

Patronage System (Spoils System)

Giving gov jobs based on loyalty / politics rather than merit (skill / experience)

Merit System

Gov hiring based on qualifications and exams (based on ability, NOT connections

Privatization

Turning gov functions over to private companies (consequences: cost savings, less oversight, inequality concerns)

Whistleblower

Someone who exposes / reports misconduct (wrongdoing) inside a gov agency

Policy Process

Agenda Setting → formulation → adoption → implementation → evaluation

Regulation

Gov rules to control market or behavior (ex: pollution limits)

Redistribution

Gov shifting resources (ex: taxes → welfare programs)— moving money from one group to another

Tangible Event

Real, material change (ex: stimulus checks)

Symbolic Event

Sends a message, but no material effect (ex: flag lowering)

Tangible vs Symbolic Event

Real change vs message / gesture

Inflation

Rising prices; money value falls

Deflation

Falling prices; money value rises

Inflation vs Deflation

Inflation = prices up; Deflation = prices down

Budget Surplus

Gov takes in more than it spends (extra)

Budget Deficit

Gov spends more than it earns (debt)

Medicare

Federal health insurance for the elderly (old)

Medicaid

Health insurance for low-income individuals (poor)

Rally Around the Flag

The public supports leaders during crises or war

Covert Action

Secret operations abroad to influence events w/out direct attribution

Preemption

Attacking first to prevent a future threat (strike before threatened)

Deterrence

Maintains power to discourage enemies from attacking (preventing attack through threat; Ex: nuclear deterrence)

Genocide

Intentional destruction of a national, ethnic, or religious group (mass killing)