CHAP 6,8,10

6. Public opinion

Citizens views on politics and government action

6. POLITICAL SOCIALIZATION

The process by which an individual’s political opinions are shaped by other people and the surrounding culture.

6. Mass Survey

A way to measure public opinion by interviewing a relatively small sample of a large population.

6. Population

The group of people whom a researcher or pollster want to study, such as evangelicals, senior citizens, or Americans.

6. Sample

Within a population, the group of people surveyed in order to gauge the whole population’s opinion. Researchers use samples because it would be impossible to interview the entire population.

6. Sampling error

The predicted difference between the average opinion expressed by survey respondents and the average opinion in the population, sometimes called the margin of error. Increasing the number of respondents lower the sampling error.

6. Ideological Polarization

Sharp differences in American’s overall ideas of the size and scope of government.

6. Policy Mood

The level of public support for expanding the government’s role in society; whether the public wants government action on a specific issue.

6. Mass Media

Sources that provide information to the average citizen, such as newspapers, television networks, radio, stations, podcasts, and websites.

6. Linking Institution

An actor or groups of actors in American politics that informs citizens about government actions or helps them exercise control over policy.

6. Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

A government agency created in 1934 to regulate American radio stations and later expanded to regulate television, wireless communications technologies, and other broadcast media

6. latent opinions

an opinion formed on the spot when it is needed (as distinct from a deeply held opinion that is stable overtime)

6. Broadcast Media

Communications technology such as television and radio that transmit information over airwaves.

6. equal time provision

And FCC regulation requiring broadcast media to provide equal airtime on any non-news programming to all candidates running for an office.

6. Media conglomerates

Companies that control a large number of media sources across several types of media outlets

6. Media effects

The influence of media coverage on average citizens opinions and actions

6. Hostile media effect

The tendency of people to see neutral media coverage of an event as biased against their point of you.

6. Filtering

The influence on public opinion that results from journalist and editors decision about which of many potential new stories to report.

6. Framing

Influence on public opinion caused by the way story is presented or covered including the details explanations and context offered in the report.

6. What does it mean that most political judgments are latent opinions?
a. Most Americans have preformed opinions.
b. Most Americans have well-thought-out reasons for preferring a policy.
c. Most Americans do not have any meaningful political attitudes.
d. Most Americans form their opinions only as needed.
e. Most opinions are not accurate.

D

6. Which of the following is not true regarding considerations?
a. Well informed and poorly informed people use them in forming opinions.
b. Opinions on morally complex issues do not involve consideration.
c. political events can become considerations.
d. they may be contradictory.
e. Party identification is often used in considerations.

B

6. There is political socialization says that people's opinions are influenced first by __
a. what they learned from their parents.
b. The way political parties change over time.
c. Their genetic and biological factors.
d. their personality traits.
e. politicians

A

6. The idea that individuals will rely on others who "look like" them for opinions relates to __
a. party identification
b. Political socialization
c. group identity
d. political events
e. generational effects

C

6. Which phrase best completes the following statement regarding the source of public opinion? "politician and other political actors work to __ public opinion"
A. respond to
B. Ignore
C. Disregard
D. stabilize
E. shape

E

6. Why is it important to get a large random survey sample?
a. to keep cost down.
b. To remind deep insight into why people hold their opinions.
c. To help candidates fine-tune their campaign message.
d. To be able to generalize about the broad population.
e. to prevent question wording from biasing survey results.

D

6. Americans generally ___ of the government; Americans generally ___ of their own representatives.
a. approve; approve
b. approve; disapprove
c. disapprove; approve
d. disapprove; disapprove
e. have no opinion; have no opinion

C

6. what is policy mood?
a. Public support for Congress.
b. Presidential approval rating.
c. Trust in government
d. Public demands for government action on domestic policies.
e. Post demand for government action on international policies.

D

6. Which policy areas are always near the top of Americans' concerns?
a. Economic conditions
b. health care.
c. same-sex marriage
d. immigration
e. the environment

A

6. Which is the result of the decreased barriers to publication on the Internet?
a. Few opportunities exist for citizens to interact with reporters or government officials.
b. People with no official connection to politics can contribute to the commentary and reach a wide audience.
c. The accuracy of political information has improved.
d. Few average citizens report on events as they happen.
e. Like minded political supporters have difficulty organizing and staying informed on issues.

B

6. the deregulation of the media has resulted in ___
a. Increasing enforcement of the equal time provision.
b. Increase enforcement of the fairness doctrine.
c. Increase use of the Internet
d. Increase scrutiny on media concentration.
e. Increase frequency of cross ownership.

E

6. what is one problem with research on media bias?
a. few scholars are interested in studying media bias.
b. It is difficult to measure bias.
c. No journalist will admit that bias exist.
d. There's a little chance that media sources are biased.
e. There are not enough media sources to create a sample.

B

6. space limitations means that some __ is inevitable.
a. filtering.
b. slant.
c. priming.
d. framing.
e. soft news.

A

8. incumbent

A politician running for reelection to the office here she currently holds.

8. Primary

A ballot vote in which citizens select a party's nominee for the general election.

8. open primary

primary election in which any registered voter can participate in the contest regardless of party affiliation.

8. semi-closed primary

A primary in which anyone who is a registered member of the party or registered as an independent can vote.

8. closed primary

A primary election in which only registered members of a particular political party can vote.

general election

The election in which voters cast ballots for House members, senators, and (every four years) a president and vice president.

8. Plurality voting

Voting system in which the candidate who receive the most votes within a geographic area wins the election, regardless of whether that candidate wins a majority (more than half) of the votes.

8. Majority voting

A voting system in which a candidate must win more than 50% of votes to win the election. If no candidate wins enough votes to take offers a runoff election is held between the top two vote getters.

8. Runoff election

Under a majority voting system, a second election is held only if no candidate wins a majority of the votes in the first general election. Only the top two vote getters in the first election compete in the runoff.

8. caucus

A local meeting in which party member select a party's nominee for the general election.

8. Proportional allocation

During the presidential primaries a practice of determining the numbers of convention delegates allotted to each candidate based on the percentage of popular votes cast for each candidate. All democratic primaries and caucuses use this system as do some states republican primaries and caucuses.

8. winner-take-all

During the presidential primaries, the practice of assigning all of a given states delegates to the candidate who receives the most popular votes. Some states republican primaries and caucuses use a system.

8. popular vote

the votes cast by citizens in an election.

8. electoral college

The body the votes to select America's president and vice president based on the popular vote in each state. Each candidate nominates a slate of electors who are selected to attend the meeting of the college if their candidate wins the most votes in a state or district.

8. electoral votes

Votes cast by members of the Electoral College; after a presidential candidate wins the popular vote in a given state, that candidate’s slate of electors casts electoral votes for the candidate on behalf of that state.

8. Election cycle

the two-year period between general elections.

8. open seat

an elected position for which there is no incumbent

GOTV ("get out the vote" or "the ground game")

A campaigns effort to get out the vote or make sure it's supporters vote on election day.

8. federal election commission

The government agency that enforces and regulate election laws; made up of six presidential appointees of whom no more than three can be members of the same party.

5. hard money

Donations that are used to help elect or defeat a specific candidate.

8. soft money

Contributions that can be used for voters mobilization or to promote a policy proposal or point of view as long as these efforts are not tied to supporting or opposing a particular candidate.

8. paradox of voting

The question of why citizens vote even though their individual votes stand little chance of changing the election outcome.

8. voting cues

Piece of information about a candidate that are readily available, easy to interpret, and lead a citizen to decide to vote for a particular candidate.

8. coattails

The ability of a popular president to generate additional support for candidates affiliated with his or her party. Coattails are weal or nonexistent in most American elections.

8. split ticket

A ballot on which a voters select candidates from more than one political party.

8. straight ticket

A ballot on which a voters select candidate from only one political party.

8. Runoff election occurs only in states that us___.
a. Majority voting.
b. Primary elections.
c. Plurality voting.
d. absentee ballots
e. proportional allocation.

A

8. The winner takes all method of allocating most states electoral votes results in candidates focusing on____ states and ___ states.
a. low-population; safe
b. high- population; safe
c. low population; swing
d. high- population; swing
e. safe; swing

D

8. an open seat election is one in which __.
a. There is no challenger in the race.
b. There is no incumbent in the race.
c. an incumbent loses his or her seat due to redistricting.
d. An incumbent faces a challenger in his or her own primary.
e. An incumbent faces a challenger in the general election.

B

8. what effects does fund- raising have for incumbent?
a. It ensures the potential for an aggressive campaign, but it has no effect on opposition.
b. It ensures the potential for an aggressive campaign, and it deters opposition.
c. It ensures the potential for an aggressive campaign, and it encourages opposition.
d. It has no effect on the potential for an aggressive campaign, but it does deter opposition.
e. It has no effect on the potential for an aggressive campaign, nor does it deter opposition.

B

"GOTV" and "ground game" refer to a candidate attempts to ___.
a. boost name recognition.
b. Mobilize supporters.
c. Increase fund- raising.
d. Deter opposition.
e. win endorsement

B

8. Research shows that modern campaign ads are likely to ___.
a. Change voters minds.
b. Features speeches by the candidate.
c. Have beneficial effects such as informing voters.
d. Run several minutes in length.
e. Increase turn out

C

8. what is soft money?
a. Money that can't be given directly to a candidate
b. Money that is given by members of the opposing party.
c. Money that can be spent to mobilize voters for a specific candidate.
d. Money that candidates spend to boost the party's reputation.
e. Money that is not tied to a specific candidate.

E

8. what is the paradox of voting?
a. Voting is costly and the chances of affecting the election outcome are small.
b. voting is costly and approval for government is high.
c. voting is easy and the chances of affecting the election outcome are large.
d. Voting is easy but inform yourself about the candidate takes time.
e. The approval for government is low but voter turnout rates are high.

A

8. voters who rely on voting cues to determine their voting choice are ___.
A. likely to cast a reasonable vote regardless of their information level.
B. unlikely to cast a reasonable vote regardless of their information level.
C. likely to cast a reasonable vote, and more so if they are informed.
D. unlikely to cause a reasonable vote, and less so if they are informed.
E. Neither more or less likely to cast a reasonable vote than voters who ignore cues.

C

8. Weak coattails and split tickets serve as indicators that ___.
a. Most voters don't know anything about the candidates.
b. Most elections are determined by local issues.
c. Most elections are determined by national issues.
d. Most voters use political parties as their dominant voting cue.
e. What voters use incumbency as a dominant voting cue.

B

8. How did the electoral map favor republican Senate candidates in 2018?
a. Democratic efforts at redistricting gave the Democrats a sharp advantage in Senate contests.
b. Economic growth was uneven across the states, particularly in Senate seats controlled by the Democrats
c. Democrats had to defend a disproportionate number of Senate seats and many of these seats were in states where republican outnumber Democrats.
d. Independent candidates drew votes away from Democratic candidates.
e. Republican candidates were more likely to lose in states where a majority of voters supported Donald Trump.

C

8. What is one likely challenge that the Biden administration will face?
A. rejoining the Paris agreement on climate change.
B. garnering policy support from senate Republicans.
C. Increasing admission for refugees.
D. gardening policy support from House Democrats.
E. Rebuilding foreign relationship with other countries.

B

8. Which of the following is an accurate conclusion about the 2020 elections?
a. the Covid-19 pandemic caused the lowest voter turnout in the last 50 years.
b. Democrats perform better than expected and senate races.
c. Despite claims there was no evidence of widespread voter fraud.
d. Republicans perform worse than expected in house race.
e. Donald Trump perform better with voters who chose to vote by mail.

C

What is the minimum age for a senator?

30. They also have to be a resident of state; U.S. citizen for at least 9 years

What is the minimum age for a Representative?

25. They also have to be a resident of state; U.S. citizen for at least 7 years

What is nationalization?

Focuses on the President and the party of the president, and partisanship.

What power does Washington D.C. have?

D.C. has no Senate seat but they do have 3 electoral votes.

How many elector votes are there?

435 Representatives
+100 Senators.
+3 W. D.C.
——————
= 538.
Need to win 270 election.

What are the important implications on electoral outcome?

economic conditions
Party ID
President approval

Ambiguous

When a bill might not pass on its own so they add it to another bill that will pass.

What are some Inside Strategies?

Meeting with Lawmakers, Drafting legislation, Providing research and testimony, taking the government to court.

What are some Outside Strategies?

Grassroots e-mail, letter, or phone campaigns, contributing to election campaigns, getting media coverage of their cause. -