Public Opinion Review

Does Public Opinion Influence Public Policy?

Public opinion is not a precise determinant of public policy.

_____________________________________________ is the most systematic way to measure public opinion.

Public opinion polling

_______________________________ occurs every ten years following the census, with states gaining or losing congressional seats based on population change.

Reapportionment

What is political socialization?

The learning process by which people acquire their political opinions, beliefs, and values.

What are conventional methods of political participation?

Voting in elections. Working in campaigns or running for office. Contacting elected officials. Ringing doorbells for a petition.

Much of America's population growth since World War II has been centered in the ___________________________________

West and South.

What is "framing?"

When the media interpret an event as part of their coverage of it. Obamacare was heavily framed by the media

What is "priming?"

When the media prepares the public to take a particular view of an issue.

What is the spiral of silence?

A theory that describes the process by which one opinion becomes dominant as those who perceive their opinion to be in the minority do not speak up because they fear isolation from society.

Why does the media tend to be the most powerful force in shaping public opinion?

Because it's all around us, easy to access, and filled with people skilled at communicating and influencing.

What is the fastest growing age group in America?

Citizens over the age of 65

_________________________________ reflects a conscious decision to break a law believed to be immoral and suffer the consequences

Civil disobedience

What is public opinion highly responsive to?

Current events, especially the economy

What is the most important thing the government can do to shape public opinion?

Do things, such as raise/lower taxes, invade other countries, etc.

Why is Public Opinion So Important?

In a representative democracy, the idea is that democratic government springs from the will of the people.

What scholars found that there is a strong relationship between changes in public opinion and subsequent changes in public policy?

Page and Shapiro.

_______________________________________ is a person's ingrained sense of loyalty to a particular political party.

Party identification

What is public opinion?

Public opinion are those opinions held by ordinary citizens that officials take into account when they choose to act or not.

How are polls conducted?

Sample: People in the survey to be representative of the whole. Random Sampling: People should get equal probability of being selected for the sample. Sample Size: A larger sample size the more reliable the poll. Sampling Error: Confidence in poll findings (plus/minus) Random-Digit dialing: How most polling is done.

What person can get on TV at any time, and so can control the news cycle?

The President

What are the three main influences on Americans' political opinions?

The government, interest groups (private groups), and the news media

What is the main way the media shapes public opinion?

The news organizations choose which stories will get coverage, and which won't.

Why does diversity make the study of public opinion complex?

There are many groups with a great variety of opinions. Many of those people are not well informed and may have contradictory attitudes.

Elements of the Spiral of Silence

Threat of isolation: the threat of violating consensus opinion. Fear of isolation: the fear of being socially isolated. Willingness to speak out: less likely to voice unpopular opinion. Quasi-statistical sense: individual perception of dominant opinion as portrayed by the mass media. Pluralistic Ignorance: the belief that everyone thinks like you do.

Regardless of ethnic background, Americans have a ____________________________________________.

common political culture

Democracy depends on an ______________________________

informed citizenry.

Governments often use schools to promote _________________________________________________________

national loyalty and support for their basic values.

A _____________________ is a coherent set of values and beliefs about public policy.

political ideology

The American public has a relatively low level of _________________________ when it comes to public policy.

political information

Majority opinion

prevails usually on a few broad issues that attract interest and concern.

Elite opinion

prevails when ordinary citizens know or care little about an issue.

What is non-response bias?

sample is not representative because of not enough participation.

What is a push poll?

series of calls in which the caller puts out negative information about a candidate.

One can predict how the majority of young people will vote by simply knowing the political leanings of _____________________

their parents.

Better-educated citizens are more likely to _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.

vote, exhibit more political knowledge, and be more tolerant of opposing viewpoints.

Pluralist democracy

when government responds to the view of an intense minority.