KTQ 10: Public Opinion and Media

Unit 3 Examination practice test #1

Public opinion

Citizens' attitudes about political issues, leaders, institutions and events

Values/beliefs

Basic principles that shape a person's opinions about political issues and events

Attitude/opinion

Specific preference on a particular issue

Liberty

Freedom from government control

Democracy

System of rule that permits citizens to play a significant part in the governmental process

equal opportunity

Widely shared American ideal that all people should have the freedom to use whatever talents and wealth they have to reach their full potential

Political Ideology

Cohesive set of beliefs that form a general philosophy about the role of government

Liberal

Those who generally support social and political reform, government intervention into the economy, economic equality, social services, consumer rights, and environment.

Conservative

Those who generally support the social and economic status quo and are suspicious of efforts towards change

"Democratic" socialists

Someone who generally believes in social ownership, strong government, free markets, and reducing economic inequality

Political Socialization

Induction of individuals into political culture, leaning political beliefs and values

Agents of Socialization

Social institutions, including families and schools, that help to shape individuals' basic political beliefs and values

Gender Gap

Distinctive pattern of voting behavior reflecting the differences in views between women and men

Shortcuts/cues

Signal that encourages someone to take an action

Fake News

Deliberate disinformation or hoaxes spread as official news

Fireside Chat

Informal conversation between the president and constituents

Frame

Angle or perspective from which a news story is told

Political Knowledge

Possessing information about the formal institutions of government, political actors, and political issues

Public-opinion Polls

Scientific instruments for measuring public opinion

Sample

Small group selected by researchers to represent the population of study

Simple Random Sampling

Polling method used to select a representative sample in which everyone from the population has an equal chance to be selected

Random Digit Dialing

Polling method in which respondents are selected at random form a list of telephone numbers. attempting to avoid bias in selection

Sampling Error

Polling error that arises based on small sample size

Margin of Error

An amount (usually small) that is allowed for in case of miscalculation or change of circumstances

Social Desirability

Effect that results when respondents in a survey report what they expect the interviewer wishes rather than what they believe

Selection Bias

Polling error that arises when the sample is not representative of the population being studied

Push Polls

Polling technique in which the questions are designed to shape the respondent's opinion

Bandwagon Effect

Shift in electoral support to the candidate whom public-opinion polls report as the front-runner

Media

Forms of communication intended to convey information to large audiences

Broadcast Media

TV, radio, or other media transmission of content via public airwaves

Penny Press

Cheap, tabloid-style newspaper produced in the 19th century

News Aggregators

Application or feed that collects web content such as news headlines, blogs, podcasts, online videos, and more in one location for easy viewing

Citizen Journalism

News reported and distributed by citizens rather than professional journalists

Niche Journalism

News reporting devoted to a target portion of readers or viewers based on content or ideological presentation

Social Media

Web and mobile technologies that are used to turn communication into interactive dialogue between organizations, communities, and individuals

Fake News

False stories circulated to generate ad revenue or to benefit one political candidate over another

1996 Telecommunications Act

Law that reduced restrictions on media ownership, which led to large media mergers

Digital Citizens

Daily internet user with high-speed home internet access and the technology and literacy skills to go online for jobs, news, politics, entertainment, and other activities

Digital Divide

Gap in access to the internet among demographic groups

Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

Independent regulatory agency that regulates broadcast media and other forms of mass media

Equal Time Rule

Requirement that broadcasters provide candidates for the same political office equal opportunities to communicate their messages to the public

Right of Rebuttal

Regulation giving individuals the right to have the opportunity to respond to personal attacks made on a broadcast

Fairness Doctrine

Former policy requiring broadcasters to present contrasting viewpoints on controversial issues of public importance

Agenda-setting

Power of the media to bring public attention to particular issues and problems

Selection Bias

Tendency to focus news coverage on only one aspect of an event or issue

Framing

Power of the media to influence how events and issues are interpreted

Priming

Process of preparing the public to take a particular view of an event or political actor

Leak

Intentional disclosure of secret information, particularly to news media