Polsci unit 3 test

Objective journalism

Journalism that emphasizes neutral, factual reporting.

Yellow journalism

Sensationalized news reporting designed to attract attention.

FCC (Federal Communications Commission)

Federal agency that regulates communications.

Fairness Doctrine

Policy requiring broadcasters to address controversial public issues fairly and present contrasting viewpoints.

CNN

Cable news network founded by Ted Turner in 1980; initially pursued partisan neutrality.

Fox News

Cable news network founded by Rupert Murdoch in 1996; adopted a conservative partisan format.

Partisan talk radio

Politically opinionated radio programming that grew after the Fairness Doctrine ended.

Signaling function

The media's role in alerting the public to important developments.

Common-carrier function

The media's role as a channel for political communication.

Watchdog function

The media's role in investigating government and exposing wrongdoing.

Partisan function of media

Promoting or supporting a political viewpoint or party.

Agenda-setting

Influencing which issues the public considers important.

Framing

Presenting an issue or event in a particular way.

Priming

Making certain considerations more prominent when people evaluate an issue or leader.

Sound bite

A short, memorable excerpt from a political statement or news report.

Media fragmentation

The spread of audiences across many different news sources.

Public opinion

Opinions of citizens that are openly stated.

Political culture

Deep-seated beliefs of a people about government and politics.

Political socialization

The process through which people develop political beliefs and attitudes.

Strongest agent of political socialization

Family.

Primary agents of political socialization

Family, schools, and religion.

Secondary agents of political socialization

Peers, media, and political leaders.

Frames of reference

Points of reference used to evaluate political issues and developments.

Party identification

Emotional loyalty to a political party; not formal membership.

Selective perception

Interpreting information in ways influenced by existing beliefs.

Political ideology

A coherent set of political beliefs.

Economic liberalism

Generally supports more government action to address economic problems.

Economic conservatism

Generally favors market-based solutions and limited economic intervention.

Social liberalism

Generally supports individual freedom and social change.

Social conservatism

Generally supports traditional social values.

Populism

Political outlook emphasizing ordinary people versus powerful elites.

Libertarianism

Political outlook emphasizing individual liberty and limited government.

Crosscutting cleavages

Group memberships that divide people along different lines.

Main method of measuring public opinion

Public opinion polls.

Random sample

A selected group intended to represent a larger population.

Sampling error

Uncertainty resulting from estimating a population's views using a sample.

Common polling problems

Refusal to participate, uninformed respondents, dishonest answers, and poorly worded questions.

Non-opinion in polling

An answer given when a respondent lacks a formed opinion.

How does public opinion affect policy?

Officials are generally more likely to respond as public involvement increases.

Apathy

Lack of interest or concern about politics.

Alienation

Feeling disconnected from or distrustful of the political system.

Civic duty

Belief that political participation is a citizen's responsibility.

Suffrage

The right to vote.

Disenfranchisement

Depriving people of the right or practical ability to vote.

Motor voter laws

Laws that make voter registration more accessible through motor vehicle agencies.

Why is U.S. voter turnout often lower than in European democracies?

Registration requirements, frequent elections, and other participation barriers.

Factors associated with voter participation

Education, income, age, civic attitudes, and resources.

Conventional political participation

Voting, campaigning, lobbying, contacting officials, and community activities.

Unconventional political participation

Protests, social movements, and other activism outside routine electoral politics.

Social movement

Collective action by people seeking political or social change.

Federalists

One of the first major political parties in the United States.

Early Republicans

An early party that eventually transformed into the Democratic Party associated with Andrew Jackson.

Democrats and Whigs

Major competing parties during the Jacksonian era.

U.S. two-party system

The enduring competition between Democrats and Republicans.

Party realignment

A lasting shift in party support and electoral coalitions.

Three major realignment periods in the notes

Civil War era, 1896, and 1932.

What happened in the 1932 realignment?

Democrats gained political control during the Great Depression era.

Single-member-district system

Each electoral district elects one representative.

Proportional representation

Parties receive seats in proportion to their share of the vote.

Why does single-member-district voting encourage two parties?

It makes it harder for smaller parties to win representation.

Median voter theorem

Parties have incentives to appeal to the voter in the middle of the political spectrum.

Straight-ticket voting

Voting for candidates from the same party across races.

Split-ticket voting

Voting for candidates from different parties in different races.

Single-issue party

A party focused on one major issue.

Factional party

A party that emerges from divisions within an established party.

Ideological party

A party promoting a distinctive political ideology.

Reform party

A party seeking changes to political institutions or practices.

Primary election (direct primary)

An election in which voters choose a party's candidate for the general election.

Hard money

Campaign contributions subject to applicable federal limits and rules.

Soft money

Historically, funds raised outside federal hard-money limits, especially for party-building activities.

527 groups

Tax-exempt political organizations that seek to influence elections or political activity.

Candidate-centered campaign

A campaign focused primarily on the individual candidate rather than the party.

Political consultants

Professionals who help campaigns develop strategy and messaging.

Packaging a candidate

Emphasizing a candidate's appealing traits, positions, or background.

Air war

Campaign advertising through media.

Ground war

Direct voter contact, organizing, and mobilization.

Web war

Campaign outreach and political activity through online platforms.

Interest group

An organized group that seeks to influence government decisions and public policy.

Economic interest groups

Groups representing business, labor, farming, or professional economic interests.

Citizens' groups

Groups organized around public causes or shared political concerns.

Purposive incentives

Reasons for joining a group based on supporting its goals or cause.

Collective goods

Benefits available to a broad group, including nonmembers.

Private goods

Benefits restricted to particular individuals or members.

Free-rider problem

People benefit from a group's efforts without contributing.

Pluralism

The idea that competing groups influence government and contribute to democratic self-government.

Interest-group liberalism

A policy process in which organized groups exert substantial influence over policy.

Madisonian dilemma

A free society permits self-interest, but groups can gain excessive influence.

Inside lobbying

Directly contacting officials and providing information or policy proposals.

Outside lobbying

Mobilizing the public to pressure officials and influence government.

Grassroots lobbying

Encouraging ordinary citizens to contact public officials about an issue.

Revolving door

Movement between government jobs and jobs in industries or organizations interacting with government.

PAC (Political Action Committee)

An organization that raises and contributes money to support political candidates under applicable rules.

Incumbent

An elected official who currently holds office.