American Government

The process whereby individuals acquire political knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs.  This process starts in grade school and continues through adulthood.

factors that contribute to political socialization by shaping formal and informal learning.

In 1936, the magazine mailed 10 million ballots to names taken from telephone directors and automobile registration lists.  About two million people responded.  On that basis, Literary Digest predicted that Alf Landon, the Republican challenger, would defeat Democrat Franklin Roosevelt by a resounding 57 percent to 43 percent margin.   Roosevelt won by a landslide.  What went wrong?  In the midst of the Great Depression, most of the people who owned telephones and automobiles were middle and upper income who tended to vote Republican.  In contract, many poor and working class people could not afford cars and telephones, and were not sampled by the poll.  Most of them voted for Roosevelt.

Made up responses from respondents who do not want to appear uninformed.

An activity that has the intent or effect of influencing government action.  Voting is the most common form of political participation.

The extent to which individuals believe they can influence the policymaking process.

Voter turnout is typically lowest for younger adults because they tend to have fewer and are less interested in the policy process than older adults.  Participation increases with each successive age group, with the peak voting years coming between 65 and 74 years of age.   After age 75 voter participation begins to decline because illness and infirmity in the elderly.

non-profit public broadcasting television network in the United States, with 354 member television stations which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia

privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States

Corporation for Public Broadcasting is a government agency chartered and funded by the US government with the goal of promoting public broadcasting.  It provides some funding for both the PBS and NPR, private non-profit media services.

Relatively limited to the Armed Forces Radio and Television Service.

Style of news reporting that focuses on facts rather than opinion, and presents all sides of controversial issues.

60 percent of Americans believe that the press is politically biased.  Sixty-three percent believe that stories in the media are often inaccurate, 74 percent think that media stories tend to favor one side, and 74 percent say that the media are influenced y powerful people and organizations.

A term that refers to accepted responsibility of the media to alert the public to important developments as they happen.

The process by which a communication source, such as a news organization, defines and constructs a political issue or public controversy.

someone who offers to mass media his or her opinion or commentary on a particular subject area (most typically political analysis, the social sciences or sport) on which they are usually knowledgeable (or can at least appear to be knowledgeable).

an independent agency of the United States government, created by Congressional statute and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the media, public safety and homeland security.

Organization of people who join together voluntarily on the basis of some interest they share for the purpose of influencing policy.

Group of individuals who join together to seek government office in order to make public policy.

Organization created to raise and distribute money in election campaigns.  PAC can give a candidate $5,000 for each election by federal law.

Organization created to influence the outcomes of elections by raising and spending money that candidates and political parties cannot raise legally.

Business group, organized labor, Professional associations, Agriculture groups, Racial and Ethnic Groups, Religious groups, citizen groups and advocacy groups.

Care intensely about a single issue or small group of related issues.

Communication of information by a representative of an interest group to a government official for the purpose of influencing a policy decision.

Employ a variety of tactics in an effort to achieve their goals, including electioneering, lobbying, creating public pressure, protest demonstrations, litigations, and political violence.

The phenomenon of one political party controlling the legislative branch of government while the other holds the executive branch.

Similar party controlling the legislative branch of government and the executive branch.

Voters selecting the entire slate of candidates of one party only.

Voters casting their ballots for the candidates of two or more political parties.

The drawing of legislative district lines for political advantage.

The name given to funds that are raised by political parties that are not subject to federal campaign finance regulations.

A campaign finance reform law designed to limit the political influence of "big money" campaign contributors.

• The law is a living document and is not set in stone.
• Politics is not the same as policy.

The political philosophy that favors the use of government power to foster the development of the individual and promote the welfare of society.

The political philosophy that government power undermines the development of the individual and diminishes society as a whole.

Statement of party principles and issue positions.

Tea party