POLS 206 Exam 2 Kent

selective exposure

The process by which individuals screen out messages that do not conform to their own biases.

high tech politics

A politics in which the behavior of citizens and policymakers and the political agenda itself are increasingly shaped by technology.

what was the golden age of network news?

-had a public service function

- objectives and watered down

- repeal of the fairness doctrine in 1987 ended it

what is the federal communications commission? (FCC)

-prevents monopolies and creates fair treatment and equal time rule (abolished in 1980s)

-not very regulated or funded

what is mass media

Television, radio, movies, the music industry, and the popular press expanding influence with the growth of technology

what is infotainment?

broadcast material that is intended both to entertain and to inform.

what are sound bites?

snappy reports that can be aired in about 30 seconds

what are filter bubbles?

the tendency to interact only w/ like-minded others is compounded by the Internet

who is more polarized in America?

-elites

-public level is slightly less polarized

what is private vs public ownership of the press?

- profit orientation if public

-decline of foreign news

- public more common in u.s

what is the job of the press?

-social responsibility or just to spread information

what is confirmation bias?

focusing on information that confirms your existing beliefs

what are beats?

Specific locations from which news frequently emanates, such as Congress or the White House.

what is "skimming off the cream"?

-10 second sound bites

- complex policy issues ignored

what is the bias in the news?

-not as much of a liberal bias as believed

-biased towards the stories that draw the biggest audience

what is a talking head?

-A shot of a person's face talking directly to the camera

-less of this is being shown

what is the third person effect?

the attitude that others are influenced by media messages but we are not

what is propaganda?

- elites must use the media to get the public to believe the "right idea"

what is the agenda setting effect of the media?

the power to bring attention to particular issues and problems

what is the 2 step flow model?

opinion leaders interpret the news ----> spread to individual in social contact

what is the policy agenda?

-the set of desired policies political leaders view as priorities

-"what the media tells us to think about"

what are policy entrepreneurs?

-people who invest their political "capital" in an issue

- political activists depend on the media, protests attract coverage

what is media priming?

-Prime public at crucial points in a political or social process.

-importance of issues is affected by amount of media coverage

what is framing?

- how events or issues are presented

what is the media as a watchdog?

- press criticism does more good than harm

- reporters hold negative views of public officials

what is the media as a skeptic?

-skepticism constrains governments

- focus on injustices encourages enlargement of government

what is a nomination?

a parties official endorsement of a candidate for office

what is the national party convention?

The supreme power within each of the parties. The convention meets every four years to nominate the party's presidential and vice-presidential candidates and to write the party's platform.

wha was the McGovern-Fraser Commission?

- the result of a disastrous Democratic convention in 1968

- new rules about how conventions should vote on nominees , creating the primary races

what is the invisible primary?

-The period between when a candidate announces their bid for public office and when the actual primaries take place

- "money primary", trying to attract donors

what are super delegates?

party leaders and elected officials who become delegates to the national convention without having to run in primaries or caucuses

what are caucuses?

-meetings of party leaders to determine party policy or to choose the party's candidates for public office

- Iowa Caucus is first

what are presidential primaries?

elections held to select the candidate a certain state's party delegates will nominate as the national party candidate

what are the issues with the primaries and caucus system?

- low participation

- too much attention on early caucuses

- gives media too much power

what is front loading?

the tendency of states to choose an early date on the nomination calendar to gain more media attention

what is a party platform?

- a document stating the aims and goals of a political party for the next 4 years

- determined at conventions

what is the electoral collage?

-535 votes

-determined by number of house and senate seats

- 48 states are winner take all (Mane and Nebraska)

what do critics of the electoral collage say?

- battleground states get too much attention

- malapportionment

- not always same as popular vote

what is gerrymandering?

Process of redrawing legislative boundaries for the purpose of benefiting the party in power.

what is digital direct mail?

- information and requests for money addressed specifically to huge lists of people that have supported similar candidates in the past

what is the most important goal of a media campaign?

- get attention

1) advertising budget

2) "free" press

what are steps to organizing a campaign?

1. get a campaign manager

2. get a fundraiser

3. get campaign counsel

4. hire media and campaign consultants

5. assemble staff

6. plan logistics

7. get research staff and policy advisors

8. hire pollster

9. press secretary

10. website

what is the federal election campaign act (1974) ?

- campaigns must disclose who contributed and how funds were spent

- limits on individual and group contributions

- regulations on PACS (political action committees)

what are campaign contributions?

donations that are made directly to a candidate or a party and that must be reported to the FEC

what are independent expenditures?

money that must not be controlled, directed, or approved by any candidate's campaign

what are election spending loopholes?

- no limits of spending own money

- soft money : made outside the limit of the law (now more regulated)

what are 527 groups?

Independent political groups that are not subject to contribution restrictions because they do not directly seek the election of particular candidates.

what was Citizens United v Federal Election Commission (2010)?

corporations and unions can spend as much as they want to promote political views without coordinating with a political campaign

What are 501(c) groups?

groups that are exempted from reporting their contributions and can receive unlimited contributions

does money buy victory?

- don't always need to outspend to win

- spend more if facing a tough opponent

what are the 3 effects of campaigns?

1. reinforce voter preferences

2. activate voters

3. convert voters (rare)

why is voter turnout low?

- Probability vote maters * benefit > cost

- costly to vote

what is the motor voter act (1993)

- act that allows people to register to vote when they get a drivers license

who votes more?

- older people

- more educated

- married people

- higher income

what are reasons for low voter turnout?

- not competitiive

- non-compulsory

- work day elections

- 2 step process

- ID Laws

what is the primary way people vote?

- with party identification

what is economic voting?

Basing the vote on how the economy is doing

-retrospective vs prospective

- pocketbook vs sociotropic

what is policy voting?

when people base their choices in an election on their own issue preferences

what are the conditions for policy voting?

1. clear policy preferences

2. know where candidates stand

3. see differences in candidates

4. vote for candidate closest to preferences

what are the perks of being in congress?

- power to make key policy decisions

- $174,000 annual salary (way above national average)

what are the constitutional requirements to be in congress?

- House: 25 years , citizen for 7

- Senate: 30 years, citizen for 9

-Reside in state

how many representatives are in the house?

435

what are the 2 kinds of representation

1. Descriptive: mirror personal characteristics

2. Substantive: don't necessarily look like me

why are there fewer women in congress?

- fewer run (childcare and risk aversion)

- bias (must be more qualified to get equal attention)

wo wins elections?

incumbents

- 90% + in house

- narrower margins in senate

what are the electoral advantages of incumbency?

- credit claiming

- advertising / constituent contact

- weak opponents

- campaign spending (get more support)

- party identification

what is casework?

Personal work for constituents by members of Congress.

what are pork barrel projects?

government projects and grants that primarily benefit the home district or state

what was baker vs Carr (1962)

federal courts can review the boundaries of legislative districts

what can help challengers of incumbents?

- scandal

- redistricting

- wave elections

what is a bicameral legislature?

Two house legislature

what are difference between congress chambers?

- house: more institutionalized

- senate: less centralized and less disciplined

what are key facts about house of reps?

- revenue bills

- articles of impeachment

- 435 members

- 2 year terms

- less prestige

- small turnover

- limited debate

-seniority is important

what are key facts about the senate?

- presidential nominations

- treaties

- tries impeached officials

- 6 year term, 1/3 every midterm

- more prestige

- more influence on foreign affairs

who is the speaker of the house?

- elected by all members, reflects majority

- 2nd in line to presidency

- presides over house

- makes committee assignments / assigns bills

what is the majority leader?

- leader of the majority party

- schedules bills and rounds up votes for party

what are the whips?

Party leaders who work with the majority leader or minority leader to count votes beforehand and lean on waverers whose votes are crucial to a bill favored by the party.

what is the senate majority leader?

the person elected by the majority party who serves as the spokesperson and main strategist for the majority party in the Senate

what are the types of committees?

- standing (bills in policy areas)

- select (specific, temporary focus)

- joint (both chambers)

- conference (compromise bill, chambers pass slightly diff bills)

what are personal staff?

- senate has 30-40

- house has 10-15

- handle casework and legislative functions

what are committee staff?

- organize hearings

- draft committee reports

- research legislative options

- write legislation

what are the 3 staff agencies?

1. Congressional Research Service

2. Government Accountability Office

3. Congressional Budget Office

how does a bill become a law?

It has to be passed by both houses, voted on,and the president has to sign off on it

how do bills start off?

sent to a standing committee then referred to a subcommittee and then if they pass will get full consideration

what is legislative oversight?

the process of monitoring the bureaucracy and its administration of policy, mainly through hearings

what is the filibuster?

talking to prevent a bill from passing (in the Senate)

what is cloture?

a procedure for ending a debate and taking a vote, 60 votes

how to lobbyists persuade?

- provide poly information

- promise campaign money

- ghostwrite legislation

how is congress unrepresentative?

- members are elites

- leadership is chosen, not elected

- senate based on states not population

what are the basic requirements to be president?

- natural born

- 35 years old

- U.S resident for 14 years

what is the 25th amendment?

If President cannot complete his term, the V.P. becomes President

Richard Nixon

-1969-1974

- Watergate

Gerald Ford

1974-1977, Republican, first non elected president and VP, he pardoned Nixon

Jimmy Carter

(1977-1981), honest but politically unskilled, managed Iranian hostage crisis

Ronald Reagan

1981-1989,"Great Communicator" Republican, conservative economic policies, tax cuts

George H. W. Bush

1989-1993, Persian Gulf War, economy stagnated

Bill Clinton

-1993-2001, monica Lewinsky impeachment, centrist

George W. Bush

-2001-2009, launched war on terrorism, dept of homeland security

Barack Obama

-2009-2017, health care and continued war on terrorism

what are the four points regarding impeachable offenses?

1. does not have to be a crime

2. should be a grave offense

3. policy disagreement is not grounds for impeachment

4. is inherently a political process