Political Ideologies, Public Opinion, and Media Overview

A collection of flashcards designed to review key concepts from political ideologies, public opinion, and the media, as outlined in the lecture notes.

Political Ideology

A set of ideas or beliefs regarding the proper function of our political and economic system.

Liberalism

A belief system advocating positive government action to improve the welfare of individuals, support for civil rights, and tolerance for change.

Conservatism

A belief system that advocates a limited role for government in assisting individuals, support for traditional values and lifestyles, and a cautious approach to change.

Positive State

A government that actively provides goods and services.

Public Opinion

A combination of the views, attitudes, and ideas held by individuals in a community.

Political Socialization

The process by which citizens acquire political beliefs and attitudes.

Margin of Error

The range in which the true opinion of the population is expected to fall, indicating how much the poll could be off.

Mass Media

Instruments such as newspapers, magazines, radio, television, and the internet used for communication with large numbers of people.

Gatekeeper

A role of the media that determines what information is shared with the public.

Media Bias

The tendency of the media to present information in a way that is partial or skewed.

Political Efficacy

A person's sense of being able to accomplish something politically.

Sense of Duty

A motivating factor felt by some citizens to get involved in politics, believing that good citizens should participate.

Party Identification

A psychological attachment that a citizen may feel toward a particular political party.

Fake News

False or misleading information presented as real news.

Satirical News

News meant to be funny or critical, not meant to be taken literally.

Media Leak

Information that is not supposed to be public but is leaked out.

The First Media President

Franklin D. Roosevelt, known for his use of media to communicate with the public.