Gov - Test 4
What is selective exposure?
When people choose what they want to listen to / watch - people tend to only watch what they agree with
When applied to Congress, what does casework mean?
When politicians work directly with their constituents
What is a filibuster?
When someone in senate talks forever with intention to kill a bill
What does the White House strategy of going public mean?
When the politician addresses the people / media with something such as a speech
What is a standing committee?
A permanent committee that has oversight over a specific government departments
What is pork barrel legislation?
When federal money is used to fund local projects on a bill
What is franking privilege?
When incumbents don't have to pay for postage
What are the three critical areas that are overseen through joint committees?
- Foreign security - Domestic security - Economy
What are the three ways the presidency is covered by the media?
- House press secretary - Going public - Press conference
What are the three main functions of congress?
- Legislation - write / pass laws - Representation - represent people - Oversight - make sure other branches of government are acting propperly
What are the criteria for newsworthiness?
- Timeliness - Unusual / novel - Presence of violence / conflict / disaster / scandal - Familiarity
What year did mass media begin? What started it?
1833 - New York Sun
What were fireside chats?
A way for the president to chat with the public over the radio
What is a pseudo event?
An event for a politician to get media attention
What is selective perception?
Biases that people have that influence interpretation of things
How often are states redistricted?
Every 10 years
Who started fireside chats?
FDR
What does the term penny press refer to?
First generation of news papers with mass appeal
What is priming?
Isolating particular issues as criteria for evaluation
What happens when the House and the Senate pass different versions of the same bill?
It is reviewed by a conference committee
What is the head of the opposition party in both the House and the Senate called?
Minority leader
Yellow Journalism began to be replaced by objectivity as a standard in news reporting at the beginning of the twentieth century with the influence of the New York __________ .
New York Sun
What does the myth of media manipulation say?
Politics are influenced by press / tv / radio / news paper
How does gerrymandering influence political power in Congress?
Redistricting parts of a state to benefit one party
F.C.C licenses for radio stations must be renewed every _______ years.
Seven
Name the two temporary committees
Special / select and conference committees
What is a select committee?
Temporary committees set up for specific task such as investigation / impeachment
Who does the bulk of the work in congress?
The committees
Where must bills raising revenue originate from?
The house
What is the equal time rule?
The media gives all candidates the same amount of time
Who is the leader of the senate?
The vice president
What does the oversight power of Congress mean?
They Make sure other branches of government are acting how they should be
Why does congress have less media coverage compared to the presidency?
They have no distinct leader or representative
What is a conference committee? What do they do?
Tries to settle bill disputes between the senate and the house
True and false? In Congressional elections since 1946, the vast majority of members have been reelected.
True
True or false? As a consequence of the Kennedy-Nixon debates, television networks began to compete to produce the most highly rated news programs.
True
True or false? Public opinion polls routinely show that Americans lack confidence in Congress.
True
True or false? The Congressional process reflects the original intent of the founders to create a legislative system that would be slow and deliberate.
True
What was the intent of the founders in the lawmaking process?
Wanted it to be slow and deliberate
What would a group portrait of Congress reveal?
Wealthy middle-aged white males / elite folks
What does it mean for a member of congress to go home style?
When they try to get votes by being among their voters