Political Science Test 2

Public Opinion

• The collective attitudes and beliefs of individuals on one or more issues

Public Opinion polls

• Scientific efforts to estimate what an entire group thinks about an issue by asking a smaller sample of the group for its opinion

Political Socialization

• The process by which we learn our political orientation and allegiances

Patriotism

• A strong emotional attachment to one's political community 

Spiral of silence

• The process by which a majority opinion becomes exaggerated because minorities do not feel comfortable speaking out in opposition

Gender gap

• The tendency of men and women to differ in their political views on some issues

Marriage gap

• The tendency of married and unmarried people to differ in their political views on some issues

Policiatl generations

Groups of citizens whose political views have been shaped by the common events of their youth

Partisan Generations

The process through which citizens align themselves ideologically with one of the two parties, leaving few citizens reaming in the center and increasing party polarization

Partisan sorting

• Loyalty to a party driven by hated of the other party

Negative Partisanship

• A sample chosen in such a way that any member of the population being polled has an equal chance of being selected

Sample bias

• The effect of having a sample that does not represent all segments of the population

Nonresponse bias

• Skewing of data that occurs when there is a difference in opinion between those who choose to participate and those who do not

Weighting

• Adjustments to surveys during analysis so that selected demographic groups reflect their values in the population, usually as measured by the census

Sampling error

• A number that indicates within what range the results of a poll are accurate

Benchmark poll

• An initial poll on a candidate and issues on which campaign strategy is based and against which later polls are compared

Tracking polls

• An ongoing series of surveys that follow changes in public opinion overtime

Exit polls

• Election-related questions asked of voters right after they vote

Push polls

• Polls that ask for reactions to hypothetical, often false, information in order to manipulate public opinion

Rational Ignorance

• The state of being uninformed about politicians because of the cost in time and energy

On-line processing

• The ability to receive and evaluate information as events happen, allowing us to remember our evaluation even if we have forgotten the specific events that caused it

Two step flow of information

• The process by which citizens take their political cues from more well informed opinion leaders

Opinion leaders

• People who know more about certain topics that we do and whose advice we trust, seek out, and follow

Regulating the electorate

• The process of setting rules that define who can vote and how difficult or easy it will be to cast a ballot in an election

Motor voter act

• Legislation allowing citizens to register to vote at the same time they apply for a drivers license or other state benefit

Voting Right act of 1965

• National civil rights legislation aimed at eliminating racial discrimination in the electoral process

Voter mobilization

• A parties efforts to inform potential voters about issues and candidates and to persuade them to vote

Social Connectedness

• Citizens involvement in groups and their relationships to their communities and families 

Prospective voting

• Basing voting decisions on well informed opinions and consideration of the future consequences of a given vote

Retrospective voting

• Basing voting decisions on reactions to past performance; approving the status quo or a desire for change

Invisible Primary

• Early attempts to raise money, line up campaign consultants, generate media attention, and get commitments for support even before candidates announce they are running

Party Caucus

• A local gathering of party members to choose convention delegates

Presidential Primary

• An election by which voters choose convention delegates committed to voting for a certain candidate

Open Primary

• A primary election in which eligible voters do not need to be registered party members

Closed Primary

• A primary election in which only registered party members may vote

Front Loading

• The process of scheduling presidential primaries early in the primary season

Front runner

• The leading candidate and expected winner of a nomination or an election

Momentum

• The widely held public perception that a candidate is gaming electoral strength

Swing Voters

• The approximately one third of the electorate who are undecided at the start of a campaign

Electoral college

• An intermediary body that elects the president

Open Research

• Investigation of an opponent's background for the purpose of exploiting weaknesses or undermining credibility 

Wedge issues

• A controversial issue that one party uses to split the voters in the other party

Valence issues

• Issues on which most voters and candidates share the same position 

Position issues

• Issues on which the parties differ in their perspectives and proposed solutions

Issue Ownership

• The tendency of one party to be seen as more competent in a specific policy area

Negative advertising

• Campaign advertising and other forms of communication that emphasize negative characteristics of opponents rather than one's own strengths

Government matching funds

• Money given by the federal government to qualified presidential candidates in the primary and general election campaigns

Hard money

• Campaign funds donated directly to candidates; amounts are limited by federal election laws

Soft money

• Unregulated campaign contributions by individuals, groups, or parties that promote general election activities but do not directly support individual candidates

Issue advocacy ads

• Advertisements that support issues or candidates without telling constituents how to vote 

Electoral mandate

• The perception that an election victory signals broad support for the winners proposed policies

Mass media

• The means of conveying information to large public audiences cheaply and efficiently 

Media Convergence

• The merging of traditional media with digital communication technologies such as telecommunications and the internet

Newscasting

• The targeting of specialized audiences by the media

News organizations

• Businesses (and occasionally non profits) devoted to reporting and disseminating news via print, broadcast, or digital media-or a multimedia combination.

News aggregators

• Websites, applications, and software that cull content from other digital sources

Commercial Bias

• The tendency of the media to make coverage and programming decisions based on what will attract a large audience and maximize profits

Clickbait

• Sensational headlines designed to tempt internet users to click through to a specific website

Revolving door

• The tendency of public officials, journalists, and lobbyists to move between pubic-and private-sector (media, lobbying) jobs.

Pundit

• A professional observer and commentator on politics

Agenda Setting

• The media's role in defining the relative importance of an issue or event via the amount and prominence of coverage they devote to it 

Framing

• The process through which the media emphasize particular aspects of a news story, thereby influencing the public's perception of the story 

Horse-race journalism

• The media's focus on the competitive aspects of politics rather than on actual policy proposals and political decisions

Optics

• The way a situation, persons, or event is presented by the media and perceived by the public

Sound bite

• A brief, snappy excerpt from a public figures speech that is easy to repeat on the news

Feeding frenzy

• Excessive press coverage of an embarrassing or scandalous subject

Selective perception

• The phenomenon of filtering incoming information through personal values and interests

Permanent campaign

• The idea that government requires a continual effort to convince the public to sign on to the program, requiring a reliance on on consultants and an emphasis on politics over policy

News management

• The efforts of a politicians staff to control news about the politician 

Spin

• An interpretation of a politicians words or actions, designed to present a favorable image

Leaks

• Confidential information secretly revealed to the press 

Trial Balloon

• An official leak of a proposal to determine public reaction to it without risk

Political accountability

• The democratic principle that political leaders must answer to the public for their actions

Citizen journalism

• Reporting and commentary by everyday citizens unaffiliated with traditional media outlets, and distributed via the web in the form of blogs, podcasts, or video uploads.

Political party

A group of citizens united by ideology and seeking control of government in order to promote their ideas and policies

Interest group

An organization of individuals who share a common political goal and unite for the purpose of influencing government decisions

Partisanship

Loyalty to a party that helps shape how members see the world, define problems, and identify appropriate solutions.

Party organization

The official structure that conducts the political business of parties

Electioneering

The process of getting a person elected to public office

Nominating convention

The formal party gathering to choose candidates

Party-in government

Party members who have been elected to serve in government

Governing

Activities directed toward controlling the distribution of political resources by providing executive, legislative, leadership, enacting agendas, mobilizing support, and building coalitions

Party-in-the-electorate

Ordinary citizens who identify the party

Party identification

Voter affiliation with a political party

Party base

Members of a political party who consistently vote for that partys candidates and actively support its policies and initiatives.

Responsible party model

Party government when four conditions are met: Clear choice of ideologies, candidates pledged to implement ideas, party held accountable by voters, and party control over membersto make policy decisions and implement them.

Party machines

Mass-based party systems in which parties provided services and resources to voters in exchange for votes

Party bosses

Party leaders, usually in an urban district, who exercised tight control over electioneering and patronage

Patronage

The system in which successful party candidates reward supporters with jobs or favors

Party primary

An election in which party candidates are nominated by registered party members rather than party bosses to determine their party's candidate for a general election.

Party eras

Extended periods of relative political stability in which one party tends to control both the presidency and congress

Realignment

A substantial and long-term shift in party allegiance by individuals and groups, usually resulting in a change in policy directionD

dealignment

A trend among voters to identify themselves as independents rather than as members of a major party

Hyperpartisanship

A commitment to a party so strong that it can transcend other commitments

Party platform

A list of policy positions a party endorses and pledges its elected officials to enact

Party activists

The “party faithfuL”; the rank-and-file members who actually carry out the partys electioneering efforts

Negative partisanship

Loyalty to a party driven by hatred of the other party

Lobbying

Interest group activities aimed at persuading policymakers to support the groups position

Free rider problem

The difficult groups face in recruiting when potential members can gain the benefits of the groups actions whether they join or not

Collective good

A good or service that, by its very nature, cannot be denied to anyone who wants to consume it