Unit 4 Gov prep

Saliency

The degree to which an issue is important to a certain individual/group

Intensity

How strongly people feel about a particular issue

Stability

How much dimensions of public opinion change

Referendum

Submitted to popular vote to accept/reject a legislation, measures public opinion on specific issues

Public opinion polls

Measure public opinion most frequently and directly

Random sampling allows…

Pollsters to find information representative of the public

Benchmark polls are conducted by…

A campaign when a candidate initially announces

Benchmark polls provide…

Campaign with baseline data to see if chances of winning election improve over time

Tracking polls

Performed multiple times with the same sample to track changes in opinion

Entrance polls

Collected on Election Day as voters go to cast their vote

Exit polls

Conducted at polling places, targeting voting districts that represent the public and poll random voters leaving the place

Stratified random sampling

Variation of random samplling; population divided into subgroups and weighted based on demographics. Questions must be carefully worded and cannot be 100% accurate

Sampling error

How wrong the poll results may be

Political socialization

The process by which a person develops political attitudes

Factors of politcal socialization

Family, Location, Religious instiutions, Mass media, Higher education

Ideology

A coherent set of thoughts and beliefs about politics and government

Conserative

Less government interference; oppose most federal regulations; social conservatives support government involvement in social issues

Liberal

More government assitance to help social/economic problems; government regulation of economy; separation of church and state

Moderate/independent

No coherent ideology; common sense over philosophical principles

Determining factors in ideological and political behavior

Race/ethnicity, religion, gender, income level, region

What is the main influence of the mass media on public opinion?

Setting the public agenda

What factors have contributed to the perception of increased news media bias fromt he 1980s to the present?

Rise of cable news and social media

Example of politcal socialization

Family influencing a person’s political party

In Feb 51, James Madison discusses the importance of checks and balances within the framework of the US Constituiton. According to the excerpt, what specific concern is Madison addressing about the nature of government and society?

Protection of minority rights against majority tyranny

Which group is more likely to develop socially conservative views?

Rural area residents

Which trends best reflects the role of intensity in charcateristics of public opinion?

How strongly people feel about a particular issue

Proponents of the view that income level affects politcal behavior would most likely agree with what argument?

Income level influences one’s political priorities, with lower incomes favoring welfare

How has the public’s trust in the objectivity of news organizations changed from the 1960s to today?

Seen as less objective

Which factor is known to influence a person’s political ideology significantly?

Family

What is an example of the influence of location on political socialiation

Rural areas developing more socially conservative views

Which group tends to be more liberal on social issues?

Women

What is a primary challenge in measuring public opinion?

Methodology used in polls and surveys

How di the ideological bias in news organizations affect public perception?

Led to skepticism about the objectivity of news

What is an example of the influence of region on ideological and political behavior?

East Coast is more liberal, South is more conservative

What fundamental politcal principle is primarily emphasized in the DofI?

Popular soverignty