Chapter 5&6 Key Terms

Public Opinion (Diagram)

"I have a view of things"- political attitude with levels of intensity

What are some examples given that individuals use for shortcuts to make political decisions:

"on the cheap"- info from party elites & media "inexpensive"- cues from trusted friends, relatives, colleagues & religious leaders

Vigorous and critical media are needed as the _________ of American politics.

"watch dogs"

What are examples of agenda setting?

- 2008/9: financial crisis/ economic recession - 2010: Gulf of Mexico oil spill

What are examples of priming?

- Bush's 9/11 speech - 2004: banning same sex marriage - 2006: raise minimum wage

What are examples of selection bias?

- Jan 2008: democratic, Clintons affair w/ intern - 2012: republican, extramarital affairs of presidential candidates Herman Cain & Newt Gingrich

What are examples of framing?

- Obama admin: Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act =Health Care Reforms (Americans love reforms) - Obama's presidential victory 2008 - 2012 Mitt Romney not " real conservative"

For a political survey to be an accurate representation of the population, it must meet certain requirements, including:

- appropriate sampling method - a sufficient sample size - avoidance of selection bias

What are the three concerns with Internet news?

- loss of investigation power - variation in the quality of the news - "Do online media ultimately help or hinder progress towards the ideal of well-informed citizenry that can govern itself effectively

Economic Liberal

- those who generally support social & political reform - extensive government intervention in the economy - expansion of federal social services -more vigorous efforts on behalf of the poor, minorities, & women - greater concern for consumers.

A survey of _____ people is just as effective for measuring the opinions of all Texans (or California), as the opinions of all Americans in the United States.

1,000

Americans get their news from three main sources:

1. broadcast media (radio/ TV) 2. print media (newspaper/ mags) 3. internet

Americans may prefer online news because:

1. convenience 2. up- to- the- moment currency 3. depth of info 4. diversity of viewpoints

What are the four important agents of socialization:

1. family 2. social groups 3. education 4. political environment

What are some examples of a social group?

1. groups individuals belong involuntarily (national, religious, gender, race) 2. groups individuals join willingly (political parties, labor unions, military, environmental, educational, occupational) 3. membership in a particular group give experience and perspective

What common political values do Americans share?

1. liberty 2. equality 3. democracy

The types of online news sources include:

1. niche journalism 2. citizen journalism 3. blogs 4. non profit journalism 5. social media

The power of all media collectively, both traditional and online, lies in the ability to shape what issues Americans think about (_____1_____) and what opinions Americans hold about those issues (____2_____).

1. setting the agenda 2. framing & priming

The text describes four ways polls can be inaccurate:

1. social desirability effect 2. selection bias 3. push polling 4. bandwagon effect

How do low levels of political knowledge and engagement by individuals weaken American democracy:

1. those who lack political info. can't effectively defend their own political interests & can easily become losers in political struggles. 2. if knowledge is power than a lack of knowledge can contribute to growing political & economic inequality.

Nielsen estimates that _______ Americans read the news online, a number higher than that for those who read print newspapers.

75 million

Values

Basic principles that shape a person's opinions about political issues and events

diagram (study this + handout)

Conservative vs liberal -economic life vs social life 1. ECONOMIC FREEDOM: Less Government 2. ECONOMIC ORDER: More Government 3. SOCIAL ORDER: More Government 4. PERSONAL FREEDOM: Less Government

How is liberal in classical political theory compared to contemporary politics?

In classical political theory, a liberal was someone who favored individual initiative and was suspicious of governments and their ability to manage economic and social affairs. In contemporary politics, being liberal has come to imply supporting political and social reform; extensive government intervention in the economy; the expansion of federal social services; more vigorous effects on behalf of the poor, minorities, and women; and greater concern for consumers and the environment.

Role of Media (diagram):

In democracy, the role is to inform Shaping perception of govt. & politics

Political Behavior (diagram)

Political participation in public opinion polls Joining political parties & voting Joining interest groups Protest behavior!

___ news serves the extremely important function of alerting viewers to issues and events...

TV

____ news reaches more Americans than any other single news source.

TV

____ & _____ have traditionally had the greatest influence, with the internet (thru political websites & blogs) gaining influence

TV & newspapers

Social Media

Web based and mobile based technologies that are used to turn communication into interactive dialogue between organizations, communities, and individuals

_________ is indicative of the lawless environment that now characterizes the new media, and how the new media are challenging even traditional media, taking the adversarial role of the press to new heights.

Wikileaks

Right of Rebuttal

a Federal Communications Commission regulation giving individuals the right to have the opportunity to respond to personal attacks made on a radio or TV broadcast

Fairness Doctrine

a Federal Communications Commission requirement for broadcasters who air programs on controversial issues to provide time for opposing views - the FCC ceased enforcing this doctrine in 1985

Political Ideology

a cohesive set of beliefs that forms a general philosophy about the role of government

Digital Citizen

a daily internet user with high speed home internet access & the technology & literacy skills to go online for employment, new, politics, enertainment, commerce & other activities

Libertarianism

a political ideology that emphasizes freedom and voluntary association with small government.

Push Polling

a polling technique in which the questions are designed to shape the respondent's opinion

Bandwagon Effect

a shift in electoral support to the candidate whom public opinion polls report as the front- runner

Attitude

a specific preference on a particular issue

_____ _______ is the power of the media to bring public attention to particular issues and problems.

agenda setting

life experiences--->

agents of socialization process of political associalization accruing political policies & beliefs ------------> political ideology

What is adversarial journalism?

an aggressive form of investigative journalism that attempts to expose & antagonize the status quo

What is the Federal Communications Commission?

an independent regulatory agency established in 1934

As of 2011, _______ of 10 Americans were digital citizens.

around 7

An _______ is a specific preference on a particular issue.

attitude

Libertarian

both economic conservative and social liberal

The media can make or break reputations: #2

build support for or rally opposition to programs & institutions

_________ depend on the media to investigate wrongdoing, to publicize and explain governmental actions, to evaluate programs and politicians, and to bring to light matters that might otherwise be known to only a handful of governmental advisors.

citizens

Public Opinion

citizens attitudes about political issues, leaders, institutions, & events

_______ ______ requires literacy skills to read and understand printed information.

digital citizenship

The ideas that become prominent in political life are developed and spread not only by government officials but also by important ______&_____ ______ searching for issues that will advance their causes.

economic & political groups

There is a renewed understanding that opinions about issues and politics have __________ underpinnings as well.

emotional

Once individuals become ____________ attached to particular beliefs, they tend to hold on to those beliefs even in the face of contradictory facts.

emotionally

______ is the media's ability to influence how the American people interpret political events and results.

framing

All ________ try to influence, manipulate, or manage their citizens' beliefs.

governments

The media can make or break reputations: #1

help launch or destroy political careers

what does this (scant political info) demonstrate?

how the power to set the political agenda has passed from the political parties to the media.

while economic conservatives believe in less government, social conservatives believe...

in more government to ensure moral traditions are enforced

The United Nations recently declared that access to the ________ is a human right.

internet

What is the marketplace of ideas?

is the interplay of opinions & views that takes place as competing forces attempt to persuade as many people as possible to accept a particular position on a particular issue

A ____ is the disclosure of confidential information to the news media.

leak

while economic liberals believe in more government social liberals believe in...

less government

The ____ are important vehicles in mobilizing & informing voters & candidates' supporters.

media

Today the ______ play a central role in American politics, not only in setting the agenda of topics Americans think about and discuss, but often in swaying opinions on political issues and candidates.

media

______ ______ have ushered in a new watchdog of government wrongdoing.

new media

Citizen Journalism

news reported & distributed by citizens, rather than professional journalists & for profit new organizations

Niche Journalism

news reporting devoted to a targeted portion (subset) of a journalism market sector or for a portion of readers/ viewers based on content or idealogical presentation

_________ remain important because they are influential among the political elite.

newspapers

Social Liberal

one who believes that government should not interfere with an individual's personal life when considering an individuals privacy. -includes issues such as abortion & same sex marriage

social conservative

one who believes that traditional moral teachings should be supported furthered by government

What happened after the enactment of the 1996 Telecommunications Act?

opened the way for further consolidation in the media industry & a wave of mergers & consolidations has further reduced the field of independent media across the country

People's attitudes about political issues and elected officials tend to be shaped by underlying ______________&___________.

political beliefs & values

The processes through which these underlying political beliefs and values are formed are collectively called ________ _________.

political socialization

_____ is the process of preparing the public to take a particular view of an event or political actor.

priming

Priming

process of preparing the public to take a particular view of an event or political actor

The term _____ ____ is used to denote the attitudes citizens have about political issues, leaders, institutions, and events.

public opinion

Economic Conservative

refers to those who generally support the social and economic status quo & are suspicious of efforts to introduce new political formula &economic arrangements.

Individuals often ignore or discount new information that goes against their feelings about an individual or issue; arguing against or dismissing contradictions about people or issues is easier than _______ one's feelings about them.

revising

little of this mobilization, however, comes from news programs, which generally provide ____ political information.

scant

Public Opinion Polls

scientific instruments for measuring public opinion

______ _____ is the tendency to focus news coverage on only one aspect of an event or issue, avoiding coverage of other political issues that the public depends upon.

selection bias

Agents of Socialization

social institutions, including families & schools, that help to shape individuals' basic political beliefs & values

President Obama's White House is unique in using ______ ______ to promote the president's policy agenda

social media

what to economic conservatives believe?

that a large and powerful government poses a threat to citizens' freedom.

What is digital citizenship?

the ability to participate in society and politics online

Political Socialization

the induction of individuals into the political culture - learning the underlying beliefs & values on which the political system is based

Agenda Setting

the power of the media to bring public attention to particular issues & problems

Framing

the power of the media to influence how events & issues are interpreted

Marketplace of ideas

the public forum in which beliefs & ideas are exchanged & complete

Equal Time Rule

the requirement that broadcasters provide candidates for the same political opportunities to communicate their messages

Selection Bias

the tendency to focus news coverage on only on aspect of an event or issue, avoiding coverage of over aspects

Why do the authors suggest consolidation of media companies is a concern?

these developments have promoted questions about whether enough competition exists among the media to produce a diverse set of views on political & corporate matters, or whether the U.S has become the prisoner of media monopolies

What type of individual is more than likely to know about politics and participate in politics?

those with higher education, income, & occupational status & who are members of social or political organizations.

where does scant political information indirectly come from?

thru the ability of TV news programs to cover scandals & dishonest practices of politicians & focus viewers attention on the latest special investigation.

Today's conservatives are similar to the views of classical liberalism?

yes