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
