PSC 101 exam 2

Kinder and Kam, Us Against Them: Ethnocentric Foundations of American Opinion

"us and them" meaningful political consequences

Lupia and McCubbins, The Democratic Dilemma

-Voters don't need full information -Information isn't scarce, cognitive resources are -People can use the advice of others ...may result in deception

primary

A ballot vote in which citizens select a party's nominee for the general election.

primary election

A ballot vote in which citizens select a party's nominee for the general election.

Realignment

A change in the size or composition of the party coalitions or in the nature of the issues that divide the parties. Realignments typically occur within an election cycle or two, but they can also occur gradually over the course of a decade or longer.

horse race journalism

A description of the type of election coverage that focuses more on poll results and speculation about a likely winner than on substantive differences between the candidates.

Referendum

A direct vote by citizens on a policy change proposed by a legislature or another government body. Referenda are common in state and local elections, but there is no mechanism for a national-level referendum.

Initiative

A direct vote by citizens on a policy change proposed by fellow citizens or organized groups outside government. Getting a question on the ballot typically requires collecting a set number of signatures from registered voters in support of the proposal. There is no mechanism for a national-level initiative.

Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

A government agency created in 1934 to regulate American radio stations and later expanded to regulate television, wireless communications technologies, and other broadcast media.

interest group state

A government in which most policy decisions are determined by the influence of interest groups.

grassroots lobbying

A lobbying strategy that relies on participation by group members, such as a protest or a letter-writing campaign.

nominating convention

A meeting held by each party every four years at which states' delegates select the party's presidential and vice-presidential nominees and approve the party platform.

coercion

A method of eliminating nonparticipation or free riding by potential group members by requiring participation, as in many labor unions.

incumbent

A politician running for reelection to the office he or she currently holds.

open primary

A primary election in which voters may choose in which party to vote as they enter the polling place

closed primary

A primary in which only registered members of a particular political party can vote

semi-closed primary

A primary where anyone who is a registered member of the party or registered as an Independent can vote.

party platform

A set of objectives outlining the party's issue positions and priorities. Candidates are not required to support their party's platform.

unified government

A situation in which one party holds a majority of seats in the House and Senate and the president is a member of that same party.

Yellow Journalism

A style of newspaper popular in the late 1800s that featured sensationalized stories, bold headlines, and illustrations to increase readership.

random sample

A subsection of a population chosen to participate in a survey through a selection process in which every member of the population has an equal chance of being chosen. This kind of sampling improves the accuracy of public opinion data.

Spoils System

A system of public employment based on rewarding party loyalists and friends.

527 organizations

A tax-exempt group formed primarily to influence elections through voter mobilization efforts and issue ads that do not directly endorse or oppose a candidate. Unlike political action committees, they are not subject to contribution limits and spending caps.

attack journalism

A type of increasingly popular media coverage focused on political scandals and controversies, which causes a negative public opinion of political figures.

majority voting

A voting system in which a candidate must win more than 50 percent of votes to win the election. If no candidate wins enough votes to take office, a runoff election is held between the top two vote-getters.

plurality voting

A voting system in which the candidate who receives the most votes within a geographic area wins the election, regardless of whether that candidate wins a majority (more than half) of the votes.

liberal or conservative ideology

A way of describing political beliefs in terms of a position on the spectrum running from liberal to moderate to conservative.

mass survey

A way to measure public opinion by interviewing a relatively small sample of a large population

Shields Law

Allows reporters to protect confidential sources

national committee

An American political party's principal organization, comprising party representatives from each state.

equal time provision

An FCC regulation requiring broadcast media to provide equal airtime on any non-news programming to all candidates running for an office.

Political Action Committee (PAC)

An interest group or a division of an interest group that can raise money to contribute to campaigns or to spend on ads in support of candidates. The amount a PAC can receive from each of its donors and the amount it can spend on federal electioneering are strictly limited.

latent opinion

An opinion formed on the spot, when it is needed (as distinct from a deeply held opinion that is stable over time).

interest group

An organization of people who share common political interests and aim to influence public policy by electioneering and lobbying.

astroturf lobbying

Any lobbying method initiated by an interest group that is designed to look like the spontaneous, independent participation of many individuals.

selective incentives

Benefits that can motivate participation in a group effort because they are available only to those who participate, such as member services offered by interest groups.

which is an example of "soft news"

CNN's story about a member of Congress posting risqué photos of himself to his Twitter account

media conglomerates

Companies that control a large number of media sources across several types of media outlets.

On background or off the record

Describes comments a politician makes to the press on the condition that they can be reported only if they are not attributed to that politician

Americans generally______ of the government and generally______ of their own representatives.

Disapprove; approve

winner-take-all system

During the presidential primaries, the practice of assigning all of a given state's delegates to the candidate who receives the most popular votes. Some states' Republican primaries and caucuses use this system.

proportional allocation

During the presidential primaries, the practice of determining the number of convention delegates allotted to each candidate based on the percentage of the popular vote cast for each candidate. All Democratic primaries and caucuses use this system, as do some states' Republican primaries and caucuses.

The idea that individuals will rely on others who "look like" them for opinions relates to

Group identity

Confederations

Interest groups made up of several independent, local organizations that provide much of their funding and hold most of the power.

centralized groups

Interest groups that have a headquarters, usually in Washington, D.C., as well as members and field offices throughout the country. In general, these groups' lobbying decisions are made at headquarters by the group leaders.

what is one problem with research on media bias

It is difficult to measure bias.

soft news

Media coverage that aims to entertain or shock, often through sensationalized reporting or by focusing on a candidate or politician's personality.

In the 1970s the majority of Americans identified themselves as ideologically_________; in the 2000s most Americans identified themselves as _________

Moderate; moderate

What does it mean that most political judgments are latent opinions?

Most Americans form their opinions only as needed

Why hasn't the internet increased citizens political knowledge

Most people fail to systematically search for information about politics

"filtering" the news refers to ____________

Newspaper editors determining which stories to report

What is not true regarding considerations?

Opinions on morally complex issues do not involve considerations.

issue voters

People who are well informed about their own policy preferences and knowledgeable about the candidates, and who use all of this information when they decide how to vote.

Which is the result of the decreased barriers to publication on the internet

People with no official connection to candidates can have significant influence on elections

voting cues

Pieces of information about a candidate that are readily available, easy to interpret, and lead a citizen to decide to vote for a particular candidate.

Zaller, The Nature and Origins of Mass Opinion

Prob(Liberal response) =L L + C

Cramer, The Politics of Resentment: Rural Consciousness in Wisconsin and the Rise of Scott Walker

Rural consciousness includes perceptions of: -power -values and lifestyles -resources (who gets what)

purposive benefits

Satisfaction derived from the experience of working toward a desired policy goal, even if the goal is not achieved.

Which phrase best completes the following statement regrading the sources of public opinion? "Politicians and other political actors work to_________ public opinion."

Shape

ideological polarization

Sharp differences in Americans' overall ideas of the size and scope of government

Coattails

The ability of a candidate to carry into victory lesser candidates of the same party because they were on the same ballot.

Why is the number of lobbyists increasing?

The federal government is growing in size and influence

Federal Election Commission

The government agency that enforces and regulates election laws; made up of six presidential appointees, of whom no more than three can be members of the same party.

party in government

The group of officeholders who belong to a specific political party and were elected as candidates of that party.

Population

The group of people whom a researcher or pollster wants to study, such as evangelicals, senior citizens, or Americans

party coalitions

The groups that identify with a political party, usually described in demographic terms such as African American Democrats or evangelical Republicans.

party principle

The idea that a political party exists as an organization distinct from its elected officials or party leaders.

by-product theory

The idea that many Americans acquire political information unintentionally rather than by seeking it out.

media effects

The influence of media coverage on average citizens' opinions and actions.

Framing

The influence on public opinion caused by the way a story is presented or covered, including the details, explanations, and context offered in the report.

Filtering

The influence on public opinion that results from journalists' and editors' decisions about which of many potential news stories to report.

policy mood

The level of public support for expanding the govts role in society; whether the public wants govt action on a specific issue

revolving door

The movement of individuals from government positions to jobs with interest groups or lobbying firms, and vice versa.

caucus (congressional)

The organization of Democrats within the House and Senate that meets to discuss and debate the party's positions on various issues in order to reach a consensus and to assign leadership positions.

When the government enacted policies even though the majority of American prefer the status quo, it serves as evidence that ________

The policy making process is complex

Leaking

The practice of someone in government providing nonpublic information to a reporter, with the aim of generating press coverage favorable to the leaker's aims.

sampling error

The predicted difference between the average opinion expressed by survey respondents and the average opinion in the population, sometimes called the margin of error. Increasing the number of respondents lowers the sampling error.

Duverger's Law

The principle that in a democracy with single-member districts and plurality voting, like the United States, only two parties' candidates will have a realistic chance of winning political office.

paradox of voting

The question of why citizens vote even though their individual votes stand little chance of changing the election outcome.

outside strategies

The tactics employed outside Washington, D.C., by interest groups seeking to achieve their policy goals.

inside strategies

The tactics employed within Washington, D.C., by interest groups seeking to achieve their policy goals.

Hostile Media Effect

The tendency to see a media report as being biased, owing to one's own strong partisan views.

issue ownership

The theory that voters associate certain issues or issue positions with certain parties (like Democrats and support for government-provided health insurance).

election cycle

The two-year period between general elections.

Why are focus groups helpful in understanding public opinion?

They provide deep insights into why people hold the views that they do.

runoff election

Under a majority voting system, a second election held only if no candidate wins a majority of the votes in the first general election. Only the top two vote-getters in the first election compete in the runoff.

what is the paradox of voting

Voting is costly, and the chances of affecting the election outcome are small

The theory of political socialization says that people's opinions are influenced first by__________.

What they learned from their parents

Sample

Within a population, the group of people surveyed in order to gauge the whole population's opinion. Researchers use samples because it would be impossible to interview the entire population.

split ticket

a ballot on which a voter selects candidates from more than one political party

straight jacket

a ballot on which a voters selects candidates from only one political party

GOTV ("get out the vote") or the ground game

a campaign's effort to "get out the vote" or make sure their supporters vote on Election Day

party identification (party ID)

a citizen's loyalty to a specific political party

caucus (electoral)

a local meeting in which party members select a party's nominee for the general election

Divided Government

a situation in which the house, senate, and presidency are not controlled by the same party

collective bargaining problem

a situation in which the members of a group would benefit by working together to produce some outcome, but each individual is better off refusing to cooperate and reaping benefits from those who do the work

party organization

a specific political party's leaders and workers at the national, state, and local levels

the recent trend in the presidential nomination process has been to

add so called regional primaries

open seat

an elected position for which there is no incumbent

single-member district

an electoral system in which every elected official represents a geographically defined area, such as a state or congressional district and each area elects one representative

the democratic and republican party organizations __________ hierarchical; they are _________ to force state and local parties to share their positions on issues

are not; unable

direct lobbying

attempts by interest group staff to influence policy by speaking with elected officials or bureaucrats

material benefits

benefits that are provided to individuals for joining a group

Mason, Uncivil Agreement: How Politics Became our Identity

both parties are so isolated from each other their anger to each other can grow rapidly

which statement best characterizes the American political parties

candidates are generally autonomous of the party organization, although they do receive support from the party organization

a group of elected official's of the same party who come together to organize and strategize is called a

caucus

which of the following would increase the amount of hard news reporting on politics and public policy

changes in the kinds of stories demanded by the electorate

public opinion

citizens' views on politics and government actions

labor unions are generally able to overcome the collective action problem through the use of

coercion

broadcast media

communications technologies, such as TV and radio, that transmit information over airwaves

soft money

contributions that can be used for voter mobilization or to promote a policy proposal or point of view as long as these efforts are not tied to supporting or opposing a particular candidate

one of the main advantages of a centralized interest group is that it

deploys the groups resources more efficiently

asking government officials to change policy in the line with the groups goals is

direct lobbying

interest groups generally __________ draft legislation; they generally _____________ provide testimony before committees

do; do

hard money

donations that are used to help elect or defeat a specific candidate

Lobbying

efforts to influence public policy through contact with public officials on behalf of an interest group

what is the most accurate statement about the role of presidential approval in the 2018 election

evaluations of trump played a significant role in vote and turnout decisions

Which were the first two political parties in America?

federalist and the democratic-republicans

Space and time limitations mean that some _________ is inevitable.

filtering

Abrajano, Campaigning to the New American Electorate: Advertising to Latino Voters

getting latino votes by adds in spainnsh

Directly involving interest group members in lobbying efforts is called

grassroots lobbying

which of the following is the most important factor in explaining democratic victories' in states where trump won in 2016

heightened partnership and democratic enthusiasm in suburban

The deregulation of the media has resulted in

increasing frequency of cross-ownership

how did the electoral map favor republican senate candidates in 2018

independent partnership and democratic enthusiasm in suburban areas

What has recent analysis of political independents concluded?

independents are not better informed on candidates, parties, or policy

in contrast to political parties, interest groups ________

indirectly influence government activity

mass associations

interest groups that have a large number of dues-paying individuals as members

peak associations

interest groups whose members are businesses or other organizations rather than individuals

what effect does fund raising have for incumbents

it ensures the potential for an aggressive campaign, and it deters opposition

Why are elected officials often able to successfully demand that journalists give favorable coverage of events and actions?

journalists defer to elected officials because they need the info that elected officials can provide

For grassroots lobbying to be effective, _________.

letters have to come from constituents

interest groups are more likely to succeed when their request has ________ salience and when it has ________ conflict

low; little

Runoff elections occur only in states that use

majority voting

hard news

media coverage focused on facts and important issues surrounding a campaign

Baum, Soft News Goes to War: Public Opinion and American Foreign Policy in the New Media Age

media that entertain than provide news

What is soft money?

money that is not tied to a specific candidate

Weak coattails and split tickets serve as indicators that

most elections are determined by local issues

The idea that a party is not just a group, but an organization that exists apart from its candidate, is called the _______________.

party principle

Campbell, Polarized: Making Sense of a Divided America

people today are considering themselves very liberal or conservative rather than moderate

party system

periods in which the names of the major political parties, their supporters, and the issues dividing them have remained relatively stable

the modern congress is _________; the distance between the parties has__________ over the past 60 years

polarized; increased

Why do reporters move beyond "just the facts" reporting?

politics is complicated and often requires some interpretation

What is policy mood

public demand for government action on domestic policies

What is not a random sampling technique?

push polls

prior restraint of reporting on government policy is_______

relatively rare because the constitutional guarantees of a free press are very strong

free riding

relying on others to contribute a collective effort while failing to participate on ones own behalf, yet still benefiting from the groups successes

winner takes all method of allocating most states electoral voters results in candidates focusing on _______ states and ___________states

safe; swing

solidary incentives

satisfaction derived from the experience of working with like-minded people, even if the group efforts do not achieve the desired impact

which is the following statements best characterizes soft news

soft news stories sell far better than hard news stories

mass media

sources that provide information to the average citizen, such as newspapers, television networks, radio stations, and websites

Coattails

the ability of a popular president to generate additional support for candidates affiliated with his or her party

Electoral College

the body of electors who formally elect the United States president and vice-president

general election

the election in which voters cast ballots for house members, senators, and (every four years) a president and vice president

party in the electorate

the group of citizens who identify with a specific political party

An event or some other new information is most likely to change an individual's opinion when

the individual does not have a set of preexisting principles with which to interpret the event

Salience

the level of familiarity with an interest group's goals among the general population

conference

the organization of republicans with the house and the senate that meets to discus and debate the partys positions on various issues in order to reach a consensus and to assign leadership positions

political socialization

the process by which an individual's political opinions are shaped by other people and the surrounding culture

the practice of moving from government positions to working for interest groups is called

the revolving door

popular vote

the votes cast by citizens in an election

interest groups generally lobby ________ in goverment

their friends

An open seat election ____________.

there is no incumbent in the race

Why is it important to get a large random survey sample

to be able to generalize about the broad population

electoral vote

votes cast by electors in the electoral college

Allcott and Gentzkow, "Social Media and Fake News in the 2016 Election"

we can fix fake news by being less one sided

Purposive benefits come from ______________; while solidary benefits come from ______________.

working to achieve a desired policy goal; working with like minded people