Uark American National Government Exam 2 Summer Woehr

Is reporting biased?

- Reporters are charged with tilting stories in a liberal direction; media owners are suspected of preserving inequalities and reinforcing the existing social order - Incumbents always receive much more news coverage than challengers - Different media may reflect different understandings of political issues

Costs, Benefits, and Cues

- Self-interest principle - Plays an obvious role in how people form opinions on government policies - Individuals may also use cues (mental shortcuts) to make fairly reliable political judgements

What makes an interest group powerful?

- Size and resources - Leadership - Cohesiveness

Retaining members for interest groups

- Solidarity incentives - Material incentives - Purposive incentives

Gallup Poll Accuracy

- Started by George Gallup in the 1930s - Predictions of presidential elections overall pretty accurate

Characteristics of Public Opinion

- The public's attitudes toward a government policy can vary over time, often dramatically. - Public Opinion places boundaries on allowable types of public policy - If asked, people are willing to register opinions on matters outside their expertise - Governments tend to respond to public opinion, however, they may not do what the public wants.

Progressives championed

- The recall - The referendum - The initiative

Interest Groups

Groups of people who work together for similar interests or goals (EX: AARP, NRA, ASPCA)

Dealignment

Lessening of the importance of party loyalties - American Political parties are among the most decentralized in the world - Parties as organizations are becoming stronger

Non-partisan

Specific to jobs, means that those candidates are not affiliated with either side, they will be on both republican and democratic ballots.

Confirmation Bias

The tendency to favor information that confirms a person's existing beliefs; it involves discounting evidence that could disprove or challenge those beliefs.

Issue framing (part of political leadership)

The way that politicians or interest group leaders define an issue when presenting it to others.

Political participation

the actions of private citizens that seek to influence or support government and politics.

Newsworthiness

the degree to which a news story is important enough to be covered in the mass media

Frontloading

the moving up of presidential primaries by states to provide those states greater influence on the selection of candidates

Early Voting

the option in some states to cast a vote at a polling place or by mail before the election.

Permanent Absentee Ballots

the option in some states to have a ballot sent automatically to your home for each election, rather than having to request an absentee ballot each time.

Same-Day Registration

the option in some states to register on the day of the election, at the polling place, rather than in advance of the election.

Voting turnout

the percentage of eligible citizens who actually vote in a given election

Turnout

the percentage of eligible individuals who actually vote

Referendum

the practice of referring a proposed law passed by a legislature to the vote of the electorate for approval or rejection

Gender Gap

a distinctive pattern of voting behavior reflecting the differences in views between women and men.

Adversarial Journalism

a form of reporting in which the media adopt a skeptical or hostile posture toward the government and public officials.

Political Agenda

a list of issues that need government attention - Can attract attention for buried issues & unpleasant issues - Can keep issues high on the agenda even when not necessary (crime) - Media's ability to define "the news" makes politicians eager to influence coverage

grassroots mobilization

a lobbying campaign in which a group mobilizes its membership to contact government officials in support of the group's position

issue network

a loose network of elected leaders, public officials, activists, and interest groups drawn together by a specific policy issue

Realignment

a move back to those party loyalties (ITS A MOVEMENT)

Electoral College

the presidential electors from each state who meet after the general election to cast ballots for president and vice president

Proportional Representation

a multiple-member district system that allows each political party representation in proportion to its percentage of the total vote

527 Comittee

a nonprofit organization such as a political party, committee, or association that operates primarily to influence the election of candidates for public office. Many political action committees (PACs) and Super PAC groups are 527 committees

Party Platform

a party document, written at a national convention, that contains party principles and policy positions

Progressivism

a philosophy of political reform based upon the goodness and wisdom of the individual citizen as opposed to special interests and political institutions

Mobilization

the process by which large numbers of people are organized for a political activity.

Redistricting

the process of redrawing election districts; this happens every 10 years, to reflect shifts in population

Journalism of Assertion

the publishing or broadcasting of information or opinion as quickly as possible, with minimal fact-checking.

Journalism of Affirmation

the putting forth of opinion and information that is consistent with the consumer's preexisting beliefs.

Equal Time Rule

the requirement that broadcasters provide candidates for the same political office with equal opportunities to communicate their messages to the public.

Suffrage

the right to vote; also called franchise.

iron triangle

the stable, cooperative relationship that often develops among a congressional committee, an administrative agency, and one or more supportive interest groups; not all of these relationships are triangular, but the iron triangle is the most typical

Pluralism

the theory that most interests are and should be free to compete for influence in the government; the outcome of this competition is compromise and moderation

Free Riders

those who enjoy the benefits of collective goods but did not participate in acquiring or providing them

Prospective Voting

voting based on the imagined future performance of a candidate or political party

retrospective voting

voting based on the past performance of a candidate or political party

Super PAC

a political committee/organization that can solicit and spend unlimited sums of money from corporations, unions, and individuals but is not permitted to contribute directly to a candidate campaign or political party. These committees are also called independent expenditure-only committees. Their activities cannot be coordinated with a candidate campaign

Open Primary

a primary election in which the voter can wait until the day of the primary to choose which party to enroll in to select candidates for the general election.

Political Action Committee (PAC)

a private group that raises and spends money for election campaigns but is not run by a party or an individual candidate. PACs are administered by corporations, labor unions, membership groups, or trade associations. They can donate money to parties or candidates they support

Recall

a procedure to allow voters to remove state officials from office before their terms expire by circulating petitions to call a vote

Ballot Initiative

a proposed law or policy change that is placed on the ballot by citizens or interest groups for a popular vote

General Election

a regularly scheduled election involving most districts in the nation or state, in which voters select officeholders; in the United States, general elections for national office and most state and local offices are held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November in even-numbered years (every four years for presidential elections).

Delegate

a representative to national party conventions who votes according to the preferences of voters in caucus and primary elections.

lobbying

a strategy by which organized interests seek to influence the passage of legislation by exerting direct pressure on government officials

Retail Politics

a style of campaigning where candidates connect to voters face-to-face at intimate gatherings, rallies, town halls, and local events

Majority System

a type of electoral system in which, to win a seat in the parliament or other representative body, a candidate must receive a majority of all the votes cast in the relevant district.

Plurality System

a type of electoral system in which, to win a seat in the parliament or other representative body, a candidate need only receive the most votes in the election, not necessarily a majority of the votes cast.

Insurrection

a violent attack on government; the act of revolting against civic authority or an established government.

Collective Goods

benefits sought by groups that are broadly available and cannot be denied to nonmembers

Midterm Elections

congressional elections that do not coincide with a presidential election; also called off-year elections.

Gerrymandering

drawing legislative districts in such a way as to give unfair advantage to a political party.

Primary Elections

elections held to select a party's candidate for the general election.

Media Monopolies

giant, often global, corporations that control a wide array of media, including television networks, movie studios, record companies, cable channels, book and newspaper publishers, and digital media outlets.

Public Interest Groups

groups that claim they serve the general good rather than only their own particular interests

Citizen Journalism

news reporting and political commentary by ordinary citizens and bystanders, advocacy groups, and eyewitnesses to crises, often using cell phone images or video and distributed via social media.

Partisan Gerrymandering

occurs when politicians from one party intentionally manipulate the boundaries for legislative election districts to disadvantage their political opponents' chance of winning an election and advantage their own political party.

Protest

participation that involves assembling crowds to confront a government or other official organization.

Opinion-driven Journalism

political blogs and talk shows where the writer or host provides highly opinionated personal commentary, usually through conversations with guests; these formats blur the boundaries between objective journalism and subjective reporting.

Grassroots campaigns

political campaigns that operate at the local level, often using face-to-face communication to generate interest and momentum by citizens

dark money groups or 501(c)(4) committees

politically active nonprofit social welfare groups; these nonprofits can spend unlimited amounts on political campaigns and not disclose their donors so long as their activities are not coordinated with the candidate campaigns and political activities are not their primary purpose

Principled Journalism

reporting that involves being as accurate, fair, and balanced as possible, relying on original sources, being transparent about citing sources, and presenting multiple viewpoints

Straight-Ticket Voting

selecting candidates from the same political party for all offices on the ballot.

solidary benefits

selective benefits of group membership that emphasize friendship, networking, and consciousness-raising

purposive benefits

selective benefits of group membership that emphasize the purpose and accomplishments of the group

Micro-targeting

sending different campaign ads or messages to different demographic groups of voters and potential voters

material benefits

special goods, services, or money provided to members of groups to entice others to join

informational benefits

special newsletters, periodicals, training programs, conferences, and other information provided to members of groups to entice others to join

Conventional participation

supportive and influencing behaviors that work within the established institutions and dominant norms

Campaign

an effort by political candidates and their supporters to win the backing of donors, political activists, and voters in their quest for political office

Closed Primary

an election in which voters select candidates but only of the party in which they are enrolled.

majority-minority district

an electoral district, such as a congressional district, in which the majority of the constituents belong to racial or ethnic minorities.

In-House lobbyist

an employee or executive within an organization who works as a lobbyist on behalf of the organization

Superdelegate

(in the Democratic Party) an unelected party member/leader who is free to support any candidate for the presidential nomination at the party's national convention. They are only allowed to vote if no candidate has a majority after the first round of voting

Press Freedom

- "Press" has come to mean all media - Exception to press freedom: publication of strategic information during wartime

The majoritarian model

- A majority of the people holds clear consistent opinions on government policy - The government should do what a majority of the public wants

Influencing Public Opinion

- Agenda setting - Priming and Framing - Bandwagon - Spiral of Silence

Conventional Participation in American

- Americans vote at lower rates than people in other democracies - Americans engage in other forms of participation at the same, or higher rates, than people in other democracies

The pluralist model

- Assumes the public is often uninformed and ambivalent about specific issues - Requires that government institutions allow free expression of opinion by "majority publics"

Minor Parties in America

- Bolter Parties/Splinter Parties -Farmer-Labor parties - Single-issue parties - Parties of ideological protest

Why do American's Join Interest Groups?

- Free rider programs - Retaining members

Effects on Freedom, Order, Equality

- Have played an important role in advancing equality, especially racial equality and women's rights. - Journalists resist government attempts to infringe on freedom of the press to promote order - Media's ability to report whatever and whenever they wish erodes efforts to maintain order

Development of the Mass Media in the US

- Newspapers - Magazines - Radio - Television - Online

Functions of Political Parties

- Nominate candidates - Simplify voting - Propose/Support alternative programs - Coordinate actions within the party & support candidates

Political Leadership

- Public opinion is molded by political leaders, journalists, and policy experts - Politicians give cues to members of the public

Functions of the Mass Media for the Political System

- Report News - Lippman's spotlight analogy - Influence Public Opinion (attitudes) - Watchdog - Educator of democratic public

Regulation of content

1st Amendment prohibits Congress from abridging the freedom of the press

Contract Lobbyist

A lobbyist who works for different causes for different clients in the same way that a lawyer represents more than one client.

Caucus

A meeting with a group of a specific party for several hours to talk about the candidate(s) and then vote together. The idea is to educate and to make sure that the group can come to a consensus at the end over who they want to be the candidate for their group.

Media Event

A situation is so "newsworthy" that the mass media are compelled to cover it; candidates in elections often create such situations

Party Identification

A voter's sense of psychological attachment to a party - A state of mind; may or may not reflect behavior (how one votes)

Spiral of Silence

An individual's perception of the distribution of public opinion influences that individual's willingness to express their own opinions, which in turn affects the perceptions and, ultimately, willingness of others to express their opinions.

Political Party

An organization that sponsors candidates for political office under the organization's name

Machine/Boss Politics

An organizational style of local politics in which party bosses traded jobs, money, and favors, for votes and campaign support - Machines were crippled by federal expansion of social services - Individual state and local organizations vary widely in strength

material incentives

Benefits that have a monetary value, including money, gifts, services, or discounts received as a result of one's membership in an organization.

Market-driven journalism

Both reporting and running commercials geared to a target audience defined by demographic characteristics.

Media Echo Chambers

Closed communication systems in which individual beliefs are amplified or reinforced by repetition; they may increase social and political polarization because users do not encounter opposing views.

Broadcast Media

Communication methods such as television and radio; they tend to take form of one publisher (e.g., a television station) to many (viewers).

Nomination

Designation of an official candidate of a political party

Interest Group Strategies

Direct: - Lobbying - Publishing the voting records of members of the legislature - Building alliances - Campaign assistance Indirect: - Generating public pressure - Using constituents as lobbyists - Unconventional forms of pressure (marches, rallies, and demonstrations)

Horse Race Journalism

Election coverage by the mass media that focuses on which candidate is ahead rather than on issues

Private Ownership of the Media

Entertainment content of mass media in the US vastly overshadows the news content

The Distribution of Public Opinion

Government must analyze the shape and the stability of the distribution of public opinion.

General Election

First Tuesday after the first Monday every two years (even numbered years) in November.

watchdog journalism

Form of investigative journalism where journalists, authors or publishers of a news publication fact-check and interview political and public figures to increase accountability in democratic governance systems.

Federal Communication Commission (FCC)

Government agency that regulates broadcast media

Opinion Polling

Interviewing a sample of citizens to estimate public opinion as a whole. (sampling a few, predicting to everyone)

Gatekeepers

Media executives, news editors, and prominent reporters who direct the flow of news

Partisan Media

News organizations that mix opinion-driven journalism with factual reporting in order to appeal to consumers who are ideologically liberal or conservative; often characterized by ideological agenda setting, priming, and framing

Social Groups and Political Values

People with similar backgrounds tend to develop similar political opinions. Examples: Education, Income, Race and Ethnicity, Religion, and Gender.

Unconventional participation

Political behavior that challenges or defies established institutions and dominant norms

Politics in media

Political content can also be transmitted through other mass media, such as music and motion pictures.

Media over time

Political thinkers believed the media would transform Democracies by educating the public, enlightening voters, and keeping elected officials accountable.

Minor Parties' most important function

Safety valve

Stable Distribution

Shows little change over time

Public Opinion

The collected attitudes of citizens concerning a given issue or question.

Political Socialization

The complex process by which people acquire their political values

Television Hypothesis

The belief that television is to blame for the low level of citizens' knowledge about public affairs - Television may discourage respect for different opinions by focusing on conflict

Self-Interest principle

The implication that people choose what benefits them personally

Mass Media

The means employed in mass communication; often divided into print media and broadcast media

Agenda Setting

The media's designation of some issues, events, or people as important and others not.

Priming

The process of calling attention to some issues, and not others, when reporting on political events and officials.

Framing

The process of presenting information from a certain perspective in order to shape the audience's understanding of that information

Most Americans would regard government ownership of the media as an unacceptable threat to freedom.

True

On average, Americans spend a little over an hour a day getting news from multiple sources

True

People seem to know more about entertainment news than political facts

True

U.S. Turnout vs. Turnout in Other Countries

Turnout is low because of voting laws and administrative machinery - Election Day - Voter Registration Lack of political parties to mobilize particular social groups - When elections are not competitive or close, there is lower turnout Learning about the large amount of candidates on the ballot is daunting

Bandwagon

Voters opinion on vote preference can be altered due to the rising popularity of a candidate or policy position

Primary stage (Election)

Voters select the party nominee - Open or Closed primaries - States can use ballot type primaries or caucuses

News Aggregators

Websites that pull together news from a wide range of online sources and make them available on one platform or page; news aggregators can be a way to avoid partisan or filtered news, providing a broad overviews of the news of the day from many sources.

Political Knowledge

Women, African Americans, the poor, and the young tend to be less knowledgable about politics than men, white people, the affluent, and older citizens.

Traditional ballots

You go in cast your ballot and then leave.

Runoff Election

a "second-round" election in which voters choose between the top two candidates from the first round.

Right of Rebuttal

a Federal Communications Commission regulation giving individuals the right to respond to personal attacks made on a radio or television broadcast.

Incumbant

a candidate running for re-election to a position that the candidate already holds

Digital Political Participation

activities designed to influence politics using the internet, including visiting a candidate's website, organizing events online, and signing an online petition.

institutional advertising

advertising designed to create a positive image of an organization