APG Unit 3: Political Beliefs and Behaviors

public opinion

the distribution of the population's beliefs about politics and policy issues (complex task in the US)

demography

The scientific study of population characteristics.

census

An "actual enumeration" of the population, which the Constitution requires that the government conduct every 10 years. The census is a valuable tool for understanding demographic changes.

3 great waves of immigration

1st-immigrants were mainly northwestern europeans

2nd- many southern and eastern europeans

3rd- most Hispanic and Asians

Hart-Celler Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965

• quotas for certain groups abolished

• made family integration the prevailing goal for US immigration policy

Simpson-Mazzoli Act

-required employers to attest to their employees' immigration status and made it illegal to

knowingly hire or recruit unauthorized immigrants

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)

grants a two-year period of deferred action from deportation and eligibility for a work permit to undocumented immigrants who arrived as children

melting pot

A term used to characterize the US, with its history of immigration and mixing of cultures, ideas, and peoples.

Department of Homeland Security v. Regents of the University of California

• SCOTUS ruled that Trump's order to end DACA violated the Administrative Procedure Act and left the program standing

minority majority

The situation, likely beginning in the mid-twenty-first century, in which the non-Hispanic whites will represent a minority of the U.S. population and minority groups together will represent a majority. (due to high immigration and high birth rates)

political culture

commonly shared attitudes, beliefs, and core values about how government should operate

reapportionment

The process of reallocating seats in the House of Representatives every 10 years on the basis of the results of the census.

political socialization

The process through which individuals in a society acquire political attitudes, views, and knowledge, based on inputs from family, schools, the media, and others.

sample

• A relatively small proportion of people who are chosen in a survey so as to be representative of the whole.

• random sample = accurate represenation of population

random sampling

The key technique employed by survey researchers, which operates on the principle that everyone should have an equal probability of being selected for the sample. (matched the population as a whole)

sampling error

The level of confidence in the findings of a public opinion poll. The more people interviewed, the more confident one can be of the results.

random-digit dialing

A technique used by pollsters to place telephone calls randomly to both listed and unlisted numbers when conducting a survey. (most reliable form of poll)

exit poll

public opinion surveys used by major media pollsters to predict electoral winners with speed and precision (wording affects outcome)

political ideology

the coherent set of values and beliefs about the purpose and scope of government held by groups and individuals

gender gap

The regular pattern in which women are more likely to support Democratic candidates, in part because they tend to be less conservative than men and more likely to support spending on social services and to oppose higher levels of military spending.

ideologues

individuals whose political opinions are very strong, either at the liberal or conservative extremes.

group benefit voter

Voter that votes based on group interests (ex., business person, race, sexual orientation)

nature of the times voter

People who vote based on issues in the present, and how well they are at the time.

No issue (no) content voters

Vote based on something other than the issues (hatred for opponent)

political participation

All the activities used by citizens to influence the selection of political leaders or the policies they pursue. The most common means of _ in a democracy is voting; other means include contacting public officials, protest, and civil disobedience

conventional participation

Voting, Running for Office, Contacting Officials, Donating to Campaigns and Interest Groups-- Goal Change Policy through Direct Action

unconventional participation

Protest and Civil Disobedience-- Goal Change Policy through attention of media

protest

A form of political participation designed to achieve policy change through dramatic and unconventional tactics.

civil disobedience

A form of political participation that reflects a conscious decision to break a law believed to be immoral and to suffer the consequences.

conservatism

• a political philosophy based on tradition and social stability, favoring obedience to political authority and organized religion

• limited goverment role in economy and social welfare, individuals responsible for their own welfare

liberalism

• A belief that government can and should achieve justice and equality of opportunity.

• traditionally support strong national government, promote social welfare and equality, government is to intervene in the economy

high-tech politics

A politics in which the behavior of citizens and policymakers and the political agenda itself are increasingly shaped by technology. (key part = mass media)

mass media

Television, radio, newspapers, magazines, the Internet, and other means of popular communication. (reach and influence everyone)

media events

Events that are purposely staged for the media and that are significant just because the media are there. (successfully helps politicians)

press conference

Meetings of public officials with reporters. Since the Watergate/Vietnam era, the media has become more aggressive in its scrutiny of the Whitehouse (watchdog); therefore, recent Presidents have preferred the electronic throne over the press conference.

investigative journalism

• the use of in-depth reporting to unearth scandals, scams, and schemes, at times putting reporters in adversarial relationships with political leaders (began during the 1960s)

• critics believe it contributes to public cynacism and negativity about politics

print media

Newspapers and magazines, as compared with electronic media.

electronic media

Television, radio, and the Internet, as compared with print media.

FCC regulation of mass media

1. conducts periodic exams of goals and performance of stations as part of its licensing agreement.

2. issue a number of fair treatment rules concerning access to airwaves for political candidates and officeholders

3. adopted a policy of net neutrality

net neutrality

a former federal regulatory policy holding that internet service providers must provide equal access to broadband for all websites to their customers. Democrats on the FCC ravored this policy whereas Republicans engineered a repeal of this policy at the federal level, arguing that it represented unnecessary government regulation of the internet.

narrowcasting

Media programming on cable TV or the Internet that is focused on one topic and aimed at a particular audience. Examples include MTV, ESPN, and C-SPAN.

selective exposure

The process through which people consciously choose to get the news from information sources that have viewpoints compatible with their own.

chains

Groups of newspapers published by media conglomerates and today accounting for over four-fifths of the nation's daily newspaper circulation.

dimensions of public opinion

direction, intensity, stability, informational support, social support

interviewer effect

person asking questions influences responses (for in-person/phone surveys)

beats

Specific locations from which news frequently emanates, such as Congress or the White House. Most top reporters work a particular beat, thereby becoming specialists in what goes on at that location.

trial balloons

policy ideas floated to the media for the purpose of assessing the likely political reaction

sound bits

Short video clips of approximately 10 seconds. Typically, they are all that is shown from a politician's speech on the nightly television news. (disliked by politicians)

talking head

A shot of a person's face talking directly to the camera. Because this is visually unappealing, the major commercial networks rarely show a politician talking one-on-one for very long.

policy agenda

A set of issues and problems that policy makers consider important. The mass media play an important role in influencing the issues which receive public attention. (healthcare, education, unemployment, immigration)

policy entrepreneurs

• People who invest their political "capital" in an issue. According to John Kindon, a ___ "could be in or out of government, in elected or appointed positions, in intereset groups or research organizations"

policy entreprenuer "weapons"

press releases, press conferences, and emails; convincing reporters to tell their side; trading on personal contracts

adversarial role

• Media is used as a watchdog by the government.

• politicians need media recognition and provide subject matter for media

communications role

• provisions link between government and people

• linkage is multiple (more than 1 source of information)

• media is mass media (general information than specific)

• large role in shaping public opinion

prior restraint

A government preventing material from being published. This is a common method of limiting the press in some nations, but it is usually unconstitutional in the United States, according to the First Amendment and as confirmed in the 1931 Supreme Court case of Near v. Minnesota.

New York Times v. Sullivan

1964; established guidelines for determining whether public officials and public figures could win damage suits for libel. To do so, individuals must prove that the defamatory statements were made w/ "actual malice" and reckless disregard for the truth

Freedom of Information Act of 1966

Provides a system for the public to obtain government records, as long as they do not invade individuals' privacy, reveal trade secrets, or endanger military security.

Telecommunications Act of 1996

Allows one company to own as many as eight radio stations in large markets (five in smaller ones) and as many as it wishes nationally

ideological media bias

When media coverage systematically favors one ideological position over the other or presents coverage in an ideological manner

structural media bias

agenda setting, framing, priming, sound bites

pack journalism

A method of news gathering in which news reporters all follow the same story in the same way because they read each other's copy for validation of their own.

horse race journalism

The tendency of the media to cover campaigns by emphasizing how candidates stand in the polls instead of where they stand on the issues.

sensationalism

the use of exciting or shocking stories or language at the expense of accuracy, in order to provoke public interest or excitement.