Public Opinion and Its Influence

This set of flashcards covers key terms and definitions related to public opinion, its influences, and the media's role in shaping it.

Values and attitudes about issues and politics.

Public Opinion

Political goals and ideas that shape public opinion.

Values

What individuals think and feel about particular events.

Attitudes

Organizing voters based on their values and attitudes.

Mobilization of Bias

A bundle of values concerning the government’s social role.

Ideology

A political ideology that advocates for more government intervention in the economy, better social welfare programs, and greater protections of civil liberties.

Liberal Ideology

A political ideology favoring smaller government, fewer state-run social welfare programs, and a dominant international role for the US.

Conservative Ideology

Factors like friends and coworkers that shape public opinion.

Social Influences

Bringing an issue to public attention with the intention of influencing opinion.

Priming

The way an issue is presented in the news that influences public perception and knowledge.

Framing

The amount of attention people pay to an issue.

Saliency

Various means of communication, such as television and newspapers, that reach large audiences.

Mass Media

The view that press freedoms protect liberties and serve as a counter to government and corporate abuses.

Fourth Estate Model

A viewpoint suggesting that liberal mass media does not align with mainstream American values.

Elite Media Model

The process by which mass media messages favor the powerful and often block critical news.

Manufacturing Consent

A method used to gauge public opinion by scientifically sampling a representative population.

Polling

Small, diverse groups of people whose reactions to specific issues are studied.

Focus Groups

A polling technique aimed at influencing respondents rather than measuring their beliefs.

Push Polling

The creation of a fake grassroots movement by corporations or interests to influence policy.

Astroturfing

A lack of interest in voting, often due to perceived complexity of issues.

Voter Apathy

Popular distortions of major events intended to explain complex situations.

Con