PSCI Exam 2 Study Guide

Doubled-Barreled

A biased survey question that includes two or more topics or issues in one; it is also known as a double-direct question.

Random Sampling

A method of selecting survey participants in which each member of the population has an equal chance of being selected.

Collective Goods

Benefits or outcomes that affect everyone, regardless of whether they were members of the group that helped secure them.

Selective Incentives

Benefits that are directed toward specific individuals who participate in a group.

Alarm Mode

News coverage that moves quickly from one topic to another and provides little in-depth coverage.

Patrol Mode

News coverage that provides constant surveillance on select issues.

outsider tactics

Using the media or public support to influence the policymaking process.

Census

- A valuable tool for understanding population changes - Required by Constitution, every 10 years - Reapportionment: the process of reallocating seats in the House of Representatives every 10 years on the basis of the results of the census.

Watchdog effect

- May identify a policy problem, placing it on the policy agenda - Attention may compel the government to solve problem

Collective Action Problems

A situation faced by groups attempting to coordinate the activities and efforts of membership. The group's goals are best achieved if everyone acts in the interest of the whole, but the problem occurs when individuals in the group act in their own, often conflicting, interest.

Linkage Institution

A societal structure that connects people or groups to a government entity.

Given the challenges provided by measurement error, what does the page conclude about surveys? A. Since respondents do not hold true attitudes, measurement error is not a significant concern for a survey. B. Despite their flaws, surveys are still the best method of measuring public opinion. C.There is no way to avoid measurement error, so there is no accurate way of measuring public opinion. D.The public should place little trust in survey results given their flaws.

B. Despite their flaws, surveys are still the best method of measuring public opinion.

Interset Groups

Collections of people with shared policy interests or goals who have organized to pursue those goals through the formal policymaking process.

How well are we socialized? General and specific.

Generally- pretty good Specifically- People do not have a firm grasp of government and politics

How are politicians know the public opinion?

Letters, e-mail, phone calls, and social, Media attention, and Public opinion polls

Corporate consolidation

Major corporations control most of the print media to compete with other news media

Media Bias

Many people believe the mass media news favors one point of view over another

What does media tend to focus on?

Media focus on the negative, scandalous, and superficial

Lobby

Political activity that aims to influence government policymaking. Those who engage in lobbying are known as lobbyists.

Family

Political leanings of children often mirror their parent's leanings

The Impact of the Internet:

Potential to inform Americans about politics

Insider Tactics

Pursuing relationships with existing government officials in order to influence the policymaking process.

Leading Questions

Questions that prompt the participant to answer with a predetermined desired outcome.

What did radio do?

Radio encouraged press conferences: meetings of public officials with reporters

Material incentives

Rewards carrying monetary value that come from membership or participation in an interest group.

School

School used by government to socialize the young into the political culture ex. pledge of allegiance

What did television do when they were first invented?

Television brought government and politics directly into people's homes

Mass Media

Television, radio, newspapers, magazines, the Internet, and other means of popular communication.the Internet, and other means of popular communication

Media

The Mass Media also influence our views ex. political news, entertainment tv, and commercials

D It encourages political socialization that may reinforce democratic and capitalistic values.

The author concludes that corporate involvement in the media encourages which of the following? A It encourages media consumers to become more involved in state and local politics. B It encourages broadcast stations to offer more public-interest programming. C It encourages the production of diverse creative content, especially on radio stations. D It encourages political socialization that may reinforce democratic and capitalistic values.

majoritarian democracy

The conventional form of democracy that is based on the majority rule of citizens.

Measurement Error

The difference between a measured value of a variable in a study and its true value; it is also known as observational error.

public opinion

The distribution of the population's beliefs about politics and policy issues.

Net Neutrality

The idea that internet service providers should provide equal access to content and not discriminate by adjusting speeds or charges based on the user or source.

A the popular vote

The polls accurately predicted that Hillary Clinton would win which vote? A the popular vote B the proxy vote C the Republican vote D the electoral vote

Political Socialization

The process through which an individual acquires [their] particular political orientation

Free Riders

Those who attempt to benefit from a collective effort without working toward its achievement.

Demographics

We can use these characteristics of the population to generalize about public opinion.

C Most voters' attitudes about issues are not consistent.

What did Philip Converse's 1964 study reveal about the electorate? A Most voters are able to identify political leaders and policies. B Most voters are aware of key political institutions and processes. C Most voters' attitudes about issues are not consistent. D Most voters have stable views about politics.

B. that the public does not have a strong understanding of polling practices

What did the 2001 Kaiser / Public Perspective survey reveal? A. that the public believes polls accurately convey public preferences to policymakers B. that the public does not have a strong understanding of polling practices C. that the sheer amount of polling makes Americans more aware of best practices D. that while they distrust polls, most Americans prefer them over town hall meetings

A. that randomly selected samples lead to inaccurate conclusions

What do most Americans believe about polling practices, according to the survey? A. that randomly selected samples lead to inaccurate conclusions B. that they can distinguish between "good" and "bad" polls C. that randomly selected samples are better than ones where participants self-select D. that polls are more reliable than town hall meetings

D Prior to the rise of cable television, fewer channel choices meant some Americans were likely to watch the news even if they didn't really like watching it.

What idea does the phrase "accidental viewer" express? A With more cable news channels, Americans are less likely to watch the news. B With more cable news channels, Americans are more likely to watch the news. C Prior to the rise of cable television, few Americans watched the news because it was easier to accidentally forget when it was on television. D Prior to the rise of cable television, fewer channel choices meant some Americans were likely to watch the news even if they didn't really like watching it.

A greater agreement between what the public wants and what policymakers do

What is one benefit of a more informed electorate? A greater agreement between what the public wants and what policymakers do B higher levels of distrust in the government C less certainty in poll results D fewer political divisions within the electorate

C They operate outside of the government.

What is one defining characteristic of interest groups? A They tend to rely on protests to make change. B They are elected to hold political office. C They operate outside of the government. D They have formal policymaking authority.

B An individual receives benefits from a collective action without contributing to the cause.

What is the result of the free rider problem? A An interest group will have more collective goods to share with others. B An individual receives benefits from a collective action without contributing to the cause. C An individual is denied certain benefits because they did not participate in a cause. D An interest group will not achieve its goal.

C collective goods

What is the term for benefits or outcomes that affect everyone (including those who did not help secure them)? A purposive incentives B selective goods C collective goods D solidary incentives

A. It used a double negative, leading some respondents to reply that the Holocaust may have never happened.

What was the problem with the Holocaust question in the 1992 AJC poll? A. It used a double negative, leading some respondents to reply that the Holocaust may have never happened. B. It offered a limited range of response options, requiring participants to select an answer about their Holocaust beliefs that was not consistent with their true attitude. C. It asked respondents to agree or disagree with a number of assertions posed in the question. D. It presented respondents with a series of preliminary questions intended to lead them to a necessary conclusion.

D. when respondents' answers to the questions deviate from their own attitudes

When does measurement error occur? A. when respondents have multiple opportunities to participate in the survey B. when the characteristics of the respondents are not consistent with the targeted population C. when respondents refuse to complete the survey D. when respondents' answers to the questions deviate from their own attitudes

A. Lawmakers should follow the public's will even if it runs counter to their own best judgment.

When thinking about the role of public opinion in the democratic process, what did most of the Kaiser / Public Perspective survey respondents believe? A. Lawmakers should follow the public's will even if it runs counter to their own best judgment. B. Lawmakers should rely on either the public's will or their own best judgment depending on the issue that is being considered. C. While lawmakers should consider the public's will, they should ultimately rely on their own best judgment when making decisions about public policy. D.Lawmakers should typically submit to the public's will unless it is clear that the public's will on a particular issue is immoral or factually baseless.

D college-educated voters

Which group of voters was overrepresented in many state polls in 2016? A young voters B Black voters C White voters D college-educated voters

C It has increased since the 1980s.

Which of the following is TRUE regarding corporate consolidation? A It has stayed the same since the 1980s. B It has not impacted the quality of news. C It has increased since the 1980s. D It has decreased since the 1980s.

C Pollsters relied on demographic turnout rates from previous elections to make predictions.

Which of the following was a main source of error in the polling for the 2016 presidential election? A Voters had already made their decisions prior to the final week of the election. B Voters felt too comfortable revealing their preference for Trump. C Pollsters relied on demographic turnout rates from previous elections to make predictions. D Pollsters only called cell phones, excluding voters who only have landlines.

D News media covers issues driven by immediate events or the actions of those in government.

Which of these describes the alarm mode of news reporting? A News media covers issues in a way that focuses on data and the context of issues. B News media covers issues in a way that focuses on the emotions of those involved. C News media investigates the implications of events or actions over a long period of time. D News media covers issues driven by immediate events or the actions of those in government.

D Exposure to partisan news increases voter turnout.

Which of these does the author identify as a positive effect of partisan news on democracy? A Exposure to partisan news reduces exposure to different points of view. B Partisan news covers policy more than political scandal in its election coverage. C Partisan news leads to more substantive and positive political news coverage. D Exposure to partisan news increases voter turnout.

C more profit for corporate interests

Which of these is a likely result of corporate consolidation of the media? A more profit for local media B greater diversity in viewing options C more profit for corporate interests D greater diversity in perspectives

D television stations

Which of these is currently regulated by the Federal Communications Commission? A newspaper publishers B social media outlets C the internet D television stations

A a crime story that focuses on the prime suspect and their criminal record

Which of these is the best example of an episodic frame in news coverage? A a crime story that focuses on the prime suspect and their criminal record B a story that investigates the effects of several city ordinances on Seattle's homeless population C a story that references a controversial book and discusses inequality in the publishing industry D a health story that reports on statistical trends in child obesity across the country

C organizing a large social media campaign that draws attention to their cause

Which of these political tactics would most likely be used by a social movement? A conducting research and writing policy reports for members of Congress B making campaign contributions to presidential candidates C organizing a large social media campaign that draws attention to their cause D writing letters to members of Congress

D sharing fact sheets, briefs, and research reports with Congress members and staffers

Which of these political tactics would most likely be used by an interest group? A organizing a large march to demonstrate support for their cause B participating in sit-ins or other protests C creating a hashtag that people can use to post information about and support their cause D sharing fact sheets, briefs, and research reports with Congress members and staffers

C. because it is difficult to know which part of the question respondents are replying to

Why do double-barreled questions make it difficult to evaluate the public's opinion on an issue? A. because negative information is presented to respondents before they answer a question about an issue B. because they imply information that has not been universally proven or accepted C. because it is difficult to know which part of the question respondents are replying to D. because respondents are offered irrelevant response options

A strong democracy requires a relaxed and entertained public, and news media is a primary source of entertainment for most voters.

Why is news media important to a functioning democracy? A strong democracy requires a relaxed and entertained public, and news media is a primary source of entertainment for most voters. B A strong democracy requires strong political parties, and news media is a primary source of information about political parties for most voters. C A strong democracy requires an informed public, and news media is a primary source of information for most voters. D A strong democracy requires high voter participation, and the content of news coverage is the primary reason why voter turnout is so high in the United States.

A The profit incentive for corporations encourages them to cut costs by offering similar types of shows.

Why might corporate consolidation lead to more channels but less choice? A The profit incentive for corporations encourages them to cut costs by offering similar types of shows. B The profit incentive for corporations encourages them to have greater input over the types of news stories their news media holdings produce. C The profit incentive for corporations encourages them to cover more policy stories than political scandals. D The profit incentive for corporations encourages them to support more original and local news content in their local stations.

D. consider how the mayor has handled your "most important issue"

You are taking a local survey. First you are asked what you consider to be the most important problem facing your city, and then you are asked whether you approve of your city's mayor. According to the question-ordering effect, what might you do when answering the second question? A. be led to consider how the mayor is handling a full range of issues B. evaluate the mayor based on their personality C. evaluate the mayor objectively D. consider how the mayor has handled your "most important issue"