Chapter 8 Section 1 Assessment American Government

(a) What are the mass media? (b) What evidence can you give that the mass media influence public opinion?

(a) The mass media include those means of communication that reach large, widely dispersed audiences simultaneously. Some examples of mass media include newspapers, magazines, radio, the internet, and in particular television. (b) Evidence supporting that the mass media can influence public opinion the way the media decides to word different news. An example would be I follow ABC7 on twitter and the words they choose to described a certain story can determine your mood or attitude toward the event before you have even read the story. The news article "Azusa school districts approves teacher layoffs after superintendent gets raise" already causes readers to have a negative attitude towards the superintendent whether it is his fault or not it is automatically assumed due to the information released by the media.

Is it likely that interaction with one's peer group would prompt one to switch his or her allegiance from one major party to the other? Why or why not?

I don't think the likelyhood of someone switching his or her allegiance from one major party to the other is very likely because it is often that every political issue brought up holds the opposite stance when deciding between two major parties. However I do think that one person that is not as outspoken about their opinions may lie and agree with those in their peer group so that they do not feel ostracized or as though they do not fit in with the group.

Why is it so difficult to define public opinion?

It is often difficult to define public opinion because the definition is very vague as to what matters of the government and politics is considered but is very specific in the definition that unless it has do with one of those two matters it is not considered a public opinion. Many will often argue what should be considered a matter of the government and politics and what should not be included.

Give three examples of an opinion leader.

Opinion leaders are people who bear heavily on public opinion based upon their status in society, some examples may include political leaders, doctors, lawyers, or even teachers. Examples of specific opinion leaders are President Donald Trump, Dr. Myles B. Abbott one of the top pediatricians in America, and Lisa Specht one of the best lawyers in the Los Angeles area.

What is the public opinion, and what factors shape it?

Public opinion is those attitudes held by a significant number of people on matters of the government and politics. The main factors shaping public opinion include family, school/education, mass media, peer groups, opinion leaders, and historic events.

Describe the political socialization of a young child.

The first experince a child has of the political world is seen from within their family and the family's eyes. Children learn about politics based upon what their parents have to say and their parents have to say and based on the ideas their parents have already formed. Although children may not form a direct opinion on major political events for example national defenses, however they do form habits and attitudes for authority based upon their parents actions. Depending on the political views of their parents being either democrats or republicans their children tend to follow the same opinions based upon studies followed.