Public Opinion

Question 1

Public Opinion

Answer 1

The distribution of the population’s belief about politics and policy issues

Question 2

Political Ideology

Answer 2

a set of beliefs about politics, public policy, and public purpose, which gives meaning to political events

Question 3

Political Socialization

Answer 3

The process through which individuals in a society acquire political attitudes, views, and knowledge based on inputs from various sources

Question 4

Agents of Socialization

Answer 4

The family, race, gender, religion, education, political climate, mass media, region, major events, political ideology

Question 5

Gender Gap

Answer 5

a distinctive pattern of voting behavior reflecting the difference in views between men and women

Question 6

Liberal

Answer 6

change

Question 7

Conservative

Answer 7

Status Quo

Question 8

Populist Movement

Answer 8

went against what the parties wanted, Jesse Ventura –> outsider

Question 9

Initiative

Answer 9

people get to write laws then vote on them

Question 10

Referendum

Answer 10

state makes laws then takes them to the people to have them vote (ex. school spending)

Question 11

Public Opinion Polls

Answer 11

Define issues of concern, shape administrative decisions, speed up democracy

Question 12

Literary Digest

Answer 12

1916 - mailed millions of surveys to predict presidential elections 1920-1932 (got it correct). Afterwords, they called phones during the Great Depression and got it wrong b/c only the rich had phones.

Question 13

Selection Bias

Answer 13

errors in the selection/placement of subjects into groups that result in differences between groups which could effect the results of an experiment

Question 14

Walter Lippmann

Answer 14

Random sampling - wrote a book about scientific polls, everyone who is eligible to vote has an equal opportunity to be asked

Question 15

George Gallop

Answer 15

1932 - hoped that polling could contribute to the democratic process by providing a way for public desires to be heard other than at elections. “father of public opinion”

Question 16

Sample

Answer 16

small group of people who are chosen to represent the whole for a survey

Question 17

Sample Size

Answer 17

larger - better results but more expensive

small - 1000-1500?

Question 18

Sample Error

Answer 18

the level of confidence in the findings of a public opinion poll. More interviewed, more confident

Question 19

Random Digit-Dialing

Answer 19

technique used by pollsters to call listed and unlisted numbers during a survey

Question 20

Salient Interests

Answer 20

how important an issue is to an individual

Question 21

Bandwagon Effect

Answer 21

may distort election process through polls

Question 22

Straw Polls

Answer 22

unscientific surveys

Question 23

Exit Polls

Answer 23

public opinion surveys used by major media to predict electoral winners

Question 24

Demography

Answer 24

the science of population changes

Question 25

Census

Answer 25

every 10 yrs, valuable tool for understanding population change

Question 26

Immigrant Society

Answer 26

US is a nation of immigrants 1. NW Europeans 2. SE Europeans 3. Asians and Hispanics

Question 27

Minority Majority

Answer 27

beginning in mid 21st century, minority groups together will represent the majority

Question 28

Reapportionment

Answer 28

reallocating seats in the HR every 10 yrs according to the census

Question 29

Push polling

Answer 29

Questions on a survey that lead you on

Question 30

Misplaced Self-Interest

Answer 30

knowing what you want, not knowing how to get it

Question 31

Margin of Error

Answer 31

measure of accuracy in public opinion poll +-3%

Question 32

Heritage Foundation

Answer 32

conservative think tank in DC to promote conservative public policies, free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values and strong notional offense

Question 33

Brookings Institute

Answer 33

liberal think tank in DC

Question 34

Jesse Ventura

Answer 34

Outsider, one time governor of Minnesota

Question 35

Civil Disobedience

Answer 35

political participation based on decision to break a law believed to be unjust

Question 36

WMD's

Answer 36

Weapon of Mass Destruction - government made it seem like Iraq had WMD, so public opinion supported their invasion. However, they had none.

Question 37

Bush Tax Cuts

Answer 37

tax breaks created during Bush's presidency - congress recently voted to extend it for 2 years as part of a compromise (republicans get tax cuts, democrats get extension of unemployment benefits). This is an example of misplaced interest

Question 38

Horse Race Politics

Answer 38

tendency of media to report on an election as if it were a horse race - ahead, behind, gaining ground

Question 39

Tracking Polls

Answer 39

continuous surveys that enable a campaign or news org. to chart a candidate's daily rise/fall in support

Question 40

Spin

Answer 40

a form of propaganda achieved through providing an interpretation of an event or campaign to persuade public opinion