Gov - Test 4

What is selective exposure?

When people choose what they want to listen to / watch - people tend to only watch what they agree with

When applied to Congress, what does casework mean?

When politicians work directly with their constituents

What is a filibuster?

When someone in senate talks forever with intention to kill a bill

What does the White House strategy of going public mean?

When the politician addresses the people / media with something such as a speech

What is a standing committee?

A permanent committee that has oversight over a specific government departments

What is pork barrel legislation?

When federal money is used to fund local projects on a bill

What is franking privilege?

When incumbents don't have to pay for postage

What are the three critical areas that are overseen through joint committees?

- Foreign security - Domestic security - Economy

What are the three ways the presidency is covered by the media?

- House press secretary - Going public - Press conference

What are the three main functions of congress?

- Legislation - write / pass laws - Representation - represent people - Oversight - make sure other branches of government are acting propperly

What are the criteria for newsworthiness?

- Timeliness - Unusual / novel - Presence of violence / conflict / disaster / scandal - Familiarity

What year did mass media begin? What started it?

1833 - New York Sun

What were fireside chats?

A way for the president to chat with the public over the radio

What is a pseudo event?

An event for a politician to get media attention

What is selective perception?

Biases that people have that influence interpretation of things

How often are states redistricted?

Every 10 years

Who started fireside chats?

FDR

What does the term penny press refer to?

First generation of news papers with mass appeal

What is priming?

Isolating particular issues as criteria for evaluation

What happens when the House and the Senate pass different versions of the same bill?

It is reviewed by a conference committee

What is the head of the opposition party in both the House and the Senate called?

Minority leader

Yellow Journalism began to be replaced by objectivity as a standard in news reporting at the beginning of the twentieth century with the influence of the New York __________ .

New York Sun

What does the myth of media manipulation say?

Politics are influenced by press / tv / radio / news paper

How does gerrymandering influence political power in Congress?

Redistricting parts of a state to benefit one party

F.C.C licenses for radio stations must be renewed every _______ years.

Seven

Name the two temporary committees

Special / select and conference committees

What is a select committee?

Temporary committees set up for specific task such as investigation / impeachment

Who does the bulk of the work in congress?

The committees

Where must bills raising revenue originate from?

The house

What is the equal time rule?

The media gives all candidates the same amount of time

Who is the leader of the senate?

The vice president

What does the oversight power of Congress mean?

They Make sure other branches of government are acting how they should be

Why does congress have less media coverage compared to the presidency?

They have no distinct leader or representative

What is a conference committee? What do they do?

Tries to settle bill disputes between the senate and the house

True and false? In Congressional elections since 1946, the vast majority of members have been reelected.

True

True or false? As a consequence of the Kennedy-Nixon debates, television networks began to compete to produce the most highly rated news programs.

True

True or false? Public opinion polls routinely show that Americans lack confidence in Congress.

True

True or false? The Congressional process reflects the original intent of the founders to create a legislative system that would be slow and deliberate.

True

What was the intent of the founders in the lawmaking process?

Wanted it to be slow and deliberate

What would a group portrait of Congress reveal?

Wealthy middle-aged white males / elite folks

What does it mean for a member of congress to go home style?

When they try to get votes by being among their voters