Comparative Politics: The Media, Interest Groups, and Political Parties

Flashcards covering key vocabulary from lecture notes on comparative politics, focusing on the media, interest groups, and political parties.

Media

Main means of mass communication, including broadcasting, publishing, and the internet.

Mass Media

Large-scale communication reaching vast audiences through TV, radio, newspapers, and social media.

Political Communication

Two-way communication between citizens and policymakers, foundational for democratic government.

Reporting

Media informing the public about current events and issues.

Watchdog

Media holding government accountable by investigating and reporting on potential abuses of power.

Connections

Media’s role in connecting individuals and civil society to the government.

Constitutive

Media acting as a forum for other roles, providing a space for discussion and debate.

Informational

Media delivering accurate, relevant, and balanced information to the public.

Deliberative

Media encouraging diverse debate on various issues (though limited by echo chambers and trolling).

Representational

Media reflecting public opinion and demographics in their coverage.

Accountability

Media monitoring power and exposing flaws in government and other institutions.

Reinforcement

Strengthening existing beliefs through selective exposure, interpretation, and recall.

Agenda-Setting

Media determining what we think about by highlighting certain issues over others.

Framing

Media influencing how we interpret events by shaping narratives and providing context.

Priming

Media influencing how we interpret events beyond those in the immediate story.

The Fourth Estate

Media as an unofficial "fourth power" alongside clergy, nobility, and commoners, shaping policy and scrutinizing power.

Control the News

Controlling the news through censorship and propaganda in authoritarian regimes.

Discredit Opposition

Marginalizing or demonizing critics in authoritarian regimes.

Stabilize Regime

Promote power, suppress dissent, frame protests as foreign-backed in authoritarian regimes

Undermine Democracy Abroad

Disinformation, social media campaigns conducted by authoritarian regimes undermining democracy abroad

Cyber sovereignty

Nations erecting borders around the internet, contrasting with open-access ideals of liberal democracies.

The Splinternet

The increasingly nationalized internet, leading to global fragmentation.

Polymedia

Multiple channels and formats in the modern media environment.

Disinformation

Intentional spread of falsehoods.

Echo Chambers

Users surrounded by confirming views, reinforcing existing beliefs.

Bots & Algorithms

Targeted manipulation through bots and algorithms.

Low Information Hygiene

Few people cross-check news or avoid misinformation.

Interest Group

A body that works outside of government to influence public policy (also called pressure groups, advocacy groups, or NGOs).

NGO (Non-Governmental Organization)

A private, non-commercial, non-violent organization aiming to achieve social or political goals.

Civil Society

The arena outside of government where citizens collectively address shared concerns.

Advocacy

Promoting or supporting a cause to influence decision-making institutions.

Lobbying

Efforts to influence decisions made by elected officials or bureaucrats.

Protective Interest Group

Represent specific member interests (e.g., workers, retirees)

Promotional Interest Group

Campaign for causes, open to anyone

Peak Associations

Umbrella groups representing many organizations

Think Tanks

Research and policy advocacy organizations

Pluralism

Open competition between freely organized groups, assuming power is fragmented.

Corporatism

Select groups (often business/labor) are formally involved in policymaking.

Iron Triangle

Insider networks between bureaucracy, legislatures, and interest groups

Issue Networks

Broader, more open networks, with new groups entering debates and greater public transparency

GONGOs

State-aligned NGOs in authoritarian regimes

Social Movements

Looser than interest groups, often grassroots and protest-based

Lobbying Firms

Professionals hired to influence policy

Campaigning Groups

Organizations that work to influence election outcomes

Lobbying Firms

Professionals hired to influence policy.

Political party

An organization that seeks to gain and maintain political power by contesting elections and promoting policy positions.

Party identification

Long-term psychological attachment to a party.

Partisan dealignment

Weakening ties between voters and parties leading to lower party identification

Cartel parties

Parties using public resources to protect themselves from competition.

Political cleavage

Divisions in society (e.g., class, ethnicity) that give rise to parties.