Chapter 6 and 7 Vocab

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Public opinion

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32 Terms

1

Public opinion

Citizens' views on politics and government actions.

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2

liberal or conservative ideology

A way of describing political beliefs in terms of a position on the spectrum running from liberal to moderate to conservative.

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3

latent opinion

An opinion formed on the spot, when it is needed (as distinct from a deeply held opinion that is stable over time).

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4

political socialization

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

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5

mass survey

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

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6

population

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

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7

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.

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8

sampling error

A calculation that describes what percentage of the people surveyed may not accurately represent the population being studied. Increasing the number of respondents lowers the sampling error.

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9

random sample

A subsection of a population chosen to participate in a survey through a selection process in which every member of the population has an equal chance of being chosen. This kind of sampling improves the accuracy of public opinion data.

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10

ideological polarization

The effect on public opinion when many citizens move away from moderate positions and toward either end of the political spectrum, identifying themselves as either liberals or conservatives.

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11

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.

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12

mass media

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

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13

wire service

An organization that gathers news and sells it to other media outlets. The invention of the telegraph in the early 1800s made this type of service possible.

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14

yellow journalism

A style of newspaper popular in the late 1800s that featured sensationalized stories, bold headlines, and illustrations to increase readership.

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15

investigative journalists

Reporters who dig deeply into a particular topic of public concern, often targeting government failures and inefficiencies.

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16

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.

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17

broadcast media

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

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18

fairness doctrine

An FCC regulation requiring broadcast media to present several points of view to ensure balanced coverage. It was created in the late 1940s and eliminated in 1987.

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19

equal time provision

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

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20

media conglomerates

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

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21

news cycle

The time between the release of information and its publication, such as the 24 hours between issues of a daily newspaper.

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22

on background or off the record

Comments a politician makes to the press on the condition that they can be reported only if they are not attributed to that politician.

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23

by-product theory

The idea that many Americans acquire political information unintentionally rather than by seeking it out.

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24

media effects

The influence of media coverage on average citizens' opinions and actions.

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25

filtering

The influence on public opinion that results from journalists' and editors' decisions about which of many potential news stories to report.

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26

slant

The imbalance in a story that covers one candidate or policy favorably without providing similar coverage of the other side.

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27

priming

The influence on the public's general impressions caused by positive or negative coverage of a candidate or an issue.

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28

framing

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

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29

attack journalism

A type of increasingly popular media coverage focused on political scandals and controversies, which causes a negative public opinion of political figures.

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30

horse race

A description of the type of election coverage that focuses more on poll results and speculation about a likely winner than on substantive differences between the candidates.

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31

soft news

Media coverage that aims to entertain or shock, often through sensationalized reporting or by focusing on a candidate or politician's personality.

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32

hard news

Media coverage focused on facts and important issues surrounding a campaign.

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