Studied by 4 peopleSaliency
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
Note 
Flashcard (345)