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What are the main sources of media
and which one reaches most Americans?
- Broadcast media, Print media, and the Internet.
- Television reaches most Americans
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What is the relationship between the media and the US government?
Government is more concerned about the content than ownership.
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What did the Telecommunications Act of 1996 do?
- loosened federal restrictions of media ownership, allow media companies to compete with
- each other, made it illegal to make indecent sexual materials accessible to
- minors on the Internet (later struck-down).
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Whats the percentage of
media owned by large conglomerates in the US?
90%
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What is the consequences with media giants controlling too much of the media?
Not enough diversity and opinion
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What is Agenda Setting?
Agenda setting is defined as the power of the media to bring public attention to particular issues and problems.
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What is Priming?
Priming is defined as the process of preparing the public to take a particular view of an event or a political actor
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What is Framing?
Framing is defined as the media’s power to influence how events and issues are interpreted by the public.
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Why is a free media necessary?
- Voters need information to make informed choices at the polls.
- The Media informs citizens of the activity of the government
- The media provides information about government policies that otherwise only be known to insiders.
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Define political ideology
Political Ideology is defined as a complex set of beliefs and values that, as a whole, form a general philosophy about the role of government.
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Define public opinion?
Public Opinion is defined as the beliefs, values, and attitudes that masses have about issues, events, and personalities
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Define socialization
Induction of individuals into the political culture; learning the underlying beliefs and values on which the political system is based
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Define generational effects
significant events that can shape the political attitudes of an entire generation
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Define life-style effects
life events that changed our individual opinions
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What factors explain how and why public opinion shapes politics?
Intensity, Stability, and fluidity of opinion the more effect it shapes political policies
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Define Sample
less than 2,000 surveyed
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Define representative sample
every individual in the population has an equal probability of being selected as a respondent
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Define Sampling Error
- occurs when there is a difference between the sample result and the true result.
- An acceptable sample error rate is between 3%-5%
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Define purposive sampling
a method used by pollsters to select a representative sample in which every individual in the population has an equal probability of being selected as respondent
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What factors influence the decisions of voters at the polls?
- Opinions and beliefs
- Partisan loyalty
- The issues
- The characteristics of the candidates
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How does the US rank in regards to voter turnout in federal elections?
Voter turnout tends to be significantly lower in the US than other democracies.
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What was the result of the Motor Voter Act?
Make registration more accessible.
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What is the purpose of a primary?
- We have a frontloaded system
- This creates a “horserace”
- This forces candidates to raise large amounts of money to complete.
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Define Soft Money
money contributed to a political candidate or party that is notsubject to federal regulations.
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Define political action committees
Committees formed by interest groups to funnel donations topolitical candidates who are likely to support their position onvarious issues.
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What is the purpose of an election in a democracy?
Holding elections for public office and ensuring competitive elections in the essence of democracy
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What drives the need for money in presidential elections?
Front loaded primary system, the cost of advertising, counter the PAC attacks
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What does a political party do?
Besides nominating candidates for office, parties, structure the vote choice, propose policy alternatives, and help coordinate the actions of elected officials
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What is the dominant political structure in the US?
two-party system
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What are the periods that the Republicans first dominated American politics and then remerged to dominate
Civil War until 1932 and then reemerge in 1968 when Nixon gets elected
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Define electoral realignment
massive shift to one party that has had dominate power for several years to another.
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Define divided government
when the executive branch is controlled by one party and Congress is controlled by the other party.
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What are third parties?
Third parties usually represent social and economic protests not given voice by the two-party system.
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What is a interest group?
Interest groups are policy specialists who lobby the government to write or change existing policy that favors or benefits them.
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What do the majority of interest groups represent?
The upper and professional class
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Define Free-Rider
If one enjoys the benefits of a group’s collective efforts but did not contribute to those efforts
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What is the ideal pluralism?
The ideal pluralism allows interests to be free to compete with each other for governmental influence.
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Why do people join Interest Groups?
- To get more information about an issue.
- To network with like-minded people.
- To serve individual interests.
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What are the typical characteristics of interest group members?
Higher income and education, professional and members of the business class
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Why have interest groups grown in size and importance in the US?
Response to the growth in government and spending
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Why do interest groups favor the wealthy?
Because liberty is inconsistent with equality
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How are Interest groups beneficial?
Interest groups enhance democracy by representing large numbers of people and it encourages political participation
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