Exam 3 Study-Terms

A comprehensive set of 50 vocabulary flashcards covering key terms related to Public Opinion, Political Participation, Political Parties, Interest Groups, and Media.

Public Opinion

The distribution of the population’s beliefs about politics and policy issues.

Political Attitude

An individual's view, preference, or evaluation toward a political object or issue.

Gender Gap

The regular pattern by which women are more likely to support Democratic candidates, and men are more likely to support Republicans.

Straw Poll

An unofficial ballot conducted as a test of opinion.

Party Identification

An individual's attachment to a political party.

Political Ideology

A cohesive set of beliefs that forms a general philosophy about government.

Random Sampling

A method of poll selection that gives each person in a group the same chance of being selected.

Sample

A subset of the whole population selected to be questioned for the purposes of prediction or gauging opinion.

Honeymoon Period

The time following an election when a president’s popularity is high and congressional relations are likely to be productive.

Margin of Error

A measure of the accuracy of a public opinion poll.

Political Socialization

The process through which individuals acquire their political beliefs and values.

Rally-Around-the-Flag Effect

A phenomenon where Americans tend to support the president and government officials during times of crisis.

Issue Publics

Groups of citizens who are more attentive to particular areas of public policy than average citizens.

Cognitive Shortcut

Mental device allowing citizens to make complex decisions based on a small amount of information.

Attitudes

An individual's enduring predisposition about an object or issue.

Framing

The way an issue is posed; how an issue is framed can significantly affect decisions and judgments.

Conventional Participation

Routine political behavior that uses established institutions and is acceptable to the dominant culture.

Unconventional Participation

Political activity that challenges accepted political norms.

Socioeconomic Status

A measure based on income, education, and occupation.

Franchise

The right to vote.

Institutional Barrier

Legal and structural obstacles that prevent participation.

Single-Issue Voters

Voters who base their decisions on candidates' positions on one issue only.

Negative Campaigning

Campaigning that focuses on criticizing an opponent rather than promoting oneself.

Microtargeting

Tailoring campaign messages to individuals' demographic groups based on data analytics.

Political Campaign

An organized effort to influence the decision-making process within a specific group.

Open Primary

A primary election where voters are not required to declare party affiliation.

Closed Primary

A primary election in which only registered party members may vote.

Political Parties

Organized groups that attempt to influence the government by electing their members to office.

Party Platform

A political party's statement of its goals and policies for the next four years.

Party Organization

The formal structure and leadership of a political party, including election committees and active members.

Duverger’s Law

The principle that in a democracy with single-member districts and plurality voting, only two parties' candidates will have a realistic chance of winning.

Political Machine

A party organization that recruits members by dispensing patronage.

Initiative

A process that allows citizens to propose legislation or state constitutional amendments by submitting petitions.

Referendum

A legislative act referred for final approval to a popular vote by the electorate.

Recall

A procedure whereby voters can remove an elected official from office.

Patronage

Granting favors or making appointments to office in return for political support.

Insider Lobbying Tactics

Direct contact with policymakers to influence decisions.

Outsider Lobbying Tactics

Efforts to influence public opinion and mobilize constituents to pressure policymakers.

Public Interest Group

An organization that seeks a collective good that will not selectively and materially benefit group members.

Television Media

News and information broadcasted over television networks.

Radio Media

News and information shared through radio broadcasts.

Print Media

Traditional forms of news publication such as newspapers and magazines.

New Media

Digital forms of media including websites, blogs, and social media.

Infotainment

Media programming that blends news with entertainment.

Selective Exposure

The process by which individuals screen out messages that do not conform to their own biases.

Market-Driven Journalism

News reporting geared towards gaining viewers, readers, and advertising revenue.

Muckraking

Journalism that exposes corruption, scandal, or other misconduct.

Yellow Journalism

Journalism based on sensationalism and crude exaggeration.

Agenda Setting

The power of the media to focus public attention on particular issues.

The Hamster Wheel

The pressure on journalists to produce content rapidly.