Untitled Flashcard Set

Public Opinion

Distribution of citizen attitudes about politics/policy.

Political Ideology

Integrated set of beliefs about government scope/means.

Partisanship

Durable psychological attachment to a political party.

Agenda-setting

Media power over what issues get covered.

Framing

Media power over how issues are interpreted.

Priming

Media influence on standards used to evaluate leaders.

Political Efficacy

Belief in one's understanding of politics (internal) and belief that leaders respond to citizens (external).

Selective Exposure

Seeking information that confirms existing beliefs.

Confirmation Bias

Favoring information that fits prior beliefs.

Duverger's Law

Single-member districts and plurality rules create a two-party system.

Median Voter Theorem

In two-party competition, candidates converge to the median voter.

Retrospective Voting

Judging incumbents based on past performance.

Super PAC

Independent expenditure-only committee with unlimited funds and no coordination with candidates.

501(c)(4) Organization

Social-welfare organization focused on issue advocacy with undisclosed donors.

Thermostatic Public Opinion

Public shifts position against perceived policy direction.

Civic Voluntarism Model

Explains how resources, engagement, and networks influence civic participation.

Push Poll

Polling designed to influence voters rather than measure opinion.

Political Efficacy

The belief that one's participation in politics can make a difference.

Election Timing

Factors like weekday vs. weekend elections that affect voter turnout.

Critical Elections

Elections that signal significant realignment of party systems.

Negative Partisanship

Tendency to vote against the opposing party more than for one's own party.

Vote-by-mail

A method of voting that has been shown to increase voter participation.