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Public Opinion
The aggregation of people's views about issues, situations, and public figures.
Political Socialization
The process by which one develops social values and political attitudes
Gender Gap
The measurable difference in the way women and men vote for candidates and in the way they view political issues.
Agents of Socialization
Family, Peers, Education, Reference Groups, Media, Personal Experiences, Self-Interest
Quota Sampling
A method by which pollsters structure a sample so that it is representative of the characteristics of the target population.
Random Sampling
A scientific method of selection in which each member of the population has an equal chance of being included in the sample.
Stratified Sampling
A process of random sampling in which the national population is divided into fourths and certain areas within these regions are selected as representative of the national population.
Sampling Error
a statistical calculation of the difference in results between a poll of a randomly drawn sample and a poll of the entire population.
Public Opinion Poll
A survey of a given population's opinion on an issue or a candidate at a particular point in time.
Tracking Polls
Polls that measure changes in public opinion over the course of days, weeks, or months by repeatedly asking respondents the same questions and measuring changes in their responses.
Exit Polls
Polls conducted at polling places on Election Day to project the winner of an election before the polls close.
Push Polls
A special type of poll that both attempts to skew public opinion about a candidate and provides information to campaigns about candidate strengths and weaknesses.
Indoctrination Thesis
Teaching someone to accept a set of beliefs without questioning them
Enlightenment Thesis
As a person is educated, the begin to question their set of beliefs
Exposure Thesis
Direct experiences cause a shift in beliefs
Generational Effect
Significant historical or cultural events that can permanently affect the political attitudes of the people who lived through them
Life-Cycle Effect
the way that a person's political views can change over the course of their life as they age and experience different stages of life
New Media
Sources of information— including Internet websites, blogs, social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, photo- and video-sharing platforms such as Instagram and YouTube, and apps— and the cellular and satellite technologies that facilitate their use
Agenda Setting
When the media affect the issues and problems people think about, even if the media do not determine what positions people adopt
Framing
When the media induce people to think about an issue from one standpoint rather than from another
Priming
When the media affect the standards people use to evaluate political figures or the severity of a problem
Selective Perception
Process whereby partisans interpret the same information differently. Partisan motivated reasoning
Media Consolidation
1980 - 90% of media was owned by 50 companies.
Currently - 90% of media is owned by five companies
Ideological Bias
Implicit values and assumptions embedded within texts, discourse, or social practices
Selective Exposure
people tend to favor information that confirms their existing beliefs and opinions, while avoiding information that goes against them. Focus on the negative. Focuses on what is new, unusual, and/or exciting. Overall, focus on stories that will pull in consumers
Sound Bite
short block of speech - Average candidate soundbite:
• 1968 - 42.3 seconds
• 2008 - 6.8 seconds
Hard News
political news coverage, traditionally found in the printed press, that is more fact-based, opposed to more interpretive narratives and commentary
Soft News
News stories focused less on facts and policies than sensationalizing secondary issues or on less serious subjects of the entertainment world
Uncontrolled Media
Messages that cannot be controlled by the campaign like newspaper, TV, radio, or other independent reports.
Controlled Media
Media owned, dictated, and managed by a government
Media
Tools used to store and deliver information or data
Fairness Doctrine
The requirement that stations holding broadcast licenses present controversial issues of public importance and do so in a manner that was honest, fair, and balanced.
Public Agenda
The public issues that most demand the attention of government officials.
Selection Bias
individuals or groups in a study differ systematically from the population of interest
Watchdog
An individual or group that monitors the activities of another entity (such as an individual, corporation, non-profit group, or governmental organization) on behalf of the public to ensure that entity does not behave illegally or unethically
Horse Race Coverage
focus on polling data and public perception instead of candidate policy, and almost exclusive reporting on candidate differences rather than similarities
House/Senate Minority Leader
Leader of the minority party who speaks for the party in dealing with the majority
Speaker of the House
the presiding office of the House of Representatives; normally the Speaker is the leader of the majority party.
Whips
Members of Congress who serve as informational channels between the leadership and the rank and file, conveying the leadership's views and intentions to the members and vice versa
Conference Committees
A group of representatives from both the House and the Senate work to create a compromise version on a bill
Standing Committees
committee with fixed membership and jurisdiction, continuing from Congress to Congress. Committees allow for a division of labor
- Committees serve a knowledge function.
- Members use the committee system to focus on district interests.
Party Caucus/ Conference
Caucus - Democratic
Conference - Republican
All respective members of the House or Senate. Members in caucus elect the party leaders, ratify the choice of committee leaders, and debate party positions on issues
Cloture
motion to end debate; requires 60 votes to pass
Authorizations
a standing committee in the Senate or House of Representatives that has the power to establish, continue, or change federal programs and agencies
Appropriations
responsible for funding for most of the functions of the federal government.
Instructed Delegate
A model of representation in which legislators, as representatives of their constituents, should vote in keeping with the constituents' views, even if those views contradict the legislator's personal views.
Trustee
A model of representation in which a member of the House or the Senate follows their own conscience when deciding issue positions.
Divided Government
divided government describes a situation in which one party controls the White House (executive branch), while another party controls one or both houses of the United States Congress (legislative branch)
Unified Government
a situation where the same political party controls both the executive branch (the President) and the legislative branch (Congress), allowing for easier policy passage due to aligned priorities between the branches
Unanimous Consent Agreements
Agreement that sets forth the terms and conditions according to which the Senate will consider a bill; these are individually negotiated by the leadership for each bill.
Substantive Representation
Act on behalf of the preferences of the group represented
Descriptive Representation
Representatives resemble or share certain experiences with the represented -stand for the group
Override
An override is a legislative action that allows Congress to reverse a presidential veto of a bill, requires 2/3 vote
Continuing Resolution
A joint resolution enacted by Congress to provide budget authority for federal agencies and programs to continue operating until regular appropriations are enacted
Congressional Oversight
The process by which the legislative branch "checks" the executive branch to ensure that the laws Congress has passed are being administered in keeping with legislators' intent.
Filibuster
A procedural move by a member of the Senate to attempt to halt passage of a bill, during which the senator can speak for an unlimited time on the Senate floor.
Earmark
A designation within a spending bill that provides for a specific expenditure.
Rule
Specifies the terms and conditions under which a bill or resolution will be considered on the floor of the House. Set by Rules Committee
Executive Agreements
An international agreement between the United States and other nations, not subject to Senate approval and in effect only during the administration of the president who negotiates the agreement.
Executive Orders
a presidential directive that has the force of law, though it is not enacted by Congress
Veto
the power to officially reject or prohibit a proposed action or law
Pocket Veto
A pocket veto occurs when a bill fails to become law because the president does not sign it within the ten-day period and cannot return the bill to Congress because Congress is no longer in session.
Signing Statements
a written pronouncement issued by the President of the United States upon the signing of a bill into law.
Head of State
Receives foreign dignitaries and carries out other "ceremonial" duties
Chief Executive
Manages the federal bureaucracy and appoints members to the cabinet and other executive agencies
Chief Diplomat
The President is the "point man" for US foreign policy. Presidents enter into executive agreements and negotiate treaties
Commander-in-Chief
Makes decisions to commit troops
Executive Office of the President
Consists of appointed bureaucrats that form dozens of offices and councils that assist the president.
White House Office
WHO is an organization within the EOP that contains the president's personal advisors and staffers.
The Cabinet
The group of experts chosen by the president to serve as advisers on running the country.
Executive Privilege
The right of the chief executive and members of the administration to withhold information from Congress or the courts, or the right to refuse to appear before legislative or judicial bodies.
State of the Union Address
an annual address delivered by the president of the US to Congress, typically at the beginning of the year, giving the administration's view of the state of the nation and plans for legislation
Impeachment
The power of the House of Representatives to formally accuse the president (and other high-ranking officials, including the vice president and federal judges) of crimes.
Imperial Presidency
A term coined by Arthur Schlesinger to describe the modern executive branch and the enormous powers the office has gained through assertion, the size of the bureaucracy, and the presence of staff loyal to an individual president.
Office of Management and Budget
The office that creates the president's annual budget
Bully Pulpit
The ability of presidents to speak out and be listened to by voters.
Take Care Clause
The constitutional basis for inherent powers, which states that the president "shall take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed."
Decay Curve
political systems fail to adjust to changing circumstances
Lame Duck
President considered this he has been defeated for re-election, or after his successor has been elected, but also whenever he cannot be, or is known not to be, a candidate for reelection
Honeymoon Period
A time early in a new president's administration characterized by optimistic approval by the public
Honeymoon Period
A time early in a new president's administration characterized by optimistic approval by the public
