GENERAL INFO
What is public opinion?
a term that refers to the
ideas and attitudes that most people hold
about a particular issue or person.
Where does public opinion come from?
Among the factors that influence
public opinion are a person’s background,
the mass media, public officials, and interest
groups.
Public opinion is often described in terms
of what three features?
direction, intensity, and stability.
What is one way to measure public opinion?
election results
What number of people do pollsters usually survey?
1,500
What does public opinion play a major role in?
Democracy
Why do people often hold differing opinions about particular issues/government action?
Among the factors that influence
public opinion are a person’s background,
the mass media, public officials, and interest
groups.
Is public opinion negative or postitive?
There is a mix
Is measuring PO by election reliable?
NO
How can pollsters manipulate the process?
By changing the wording of the questions for the answer they want
Is public opinion uniform?
NO
What all plays an important role in opinions?
Age, gender, income, race, reli-
gion, occupation, and place of residence
What is intensity?
strength of an opinion on a given issue.
An example of a reason why someone would vote for a candidate?
1. they liked how a candidate looked;2. they supported some, but not all, of the candidate’s views; or 3. they voted a straight ticket, that is, for only Republicans or only Democrats.
What are push polls?
Polls in which the questions are worded so as to influence a person’s responses one way or another
What does public opinion help shape?
The presidents decisions
What is one example of mass media?
Television,
radio, newspapers, magazines, recordings,
movies, Internet Web sites, and books
What does the stability of the public opinion mean?
how firmly people hold to their view
What is a more accurate way to measure PO?
a public opinion poll
One example of a problem with polls?
Some claim polling makes our elected officials more concerned with pleasing the public / Many people also worry that polls affect elections. The media conduct polls constantly during campaigns so they can report who is ahead. Critics argue that these polls treat an election like a horse race, ignoring the candidates’ views on issues to concentrate on who is winning or losing at the moment /Furthermore, polls may discourage
voting.
Where all does the president need support from?
Public and Congress
What is indicated when you vote for an official?
they
are indicating that they trust those officials
and rely on their opinions.
How do people show their feelings during elections?
many are often willing to act upon them by voting for or against a candidate, working in an election campaign, or even participating in demonstrations.
What does a pollster do?
The pollster measures the president’s popularity or public attitudes
What are 2 examples of influence on public policy?
Interest groups, political parties, the mass media, other institutions of government, and individuals also shape public policy.