GENERAL INFO
What does public opinion play a key role in?
Democracy
What can leaders and government officials influence?
Public opinion
What are the three terms public opinion is often described in
Direction, Intensity, and Stability
What does the pollster measure?
What are polls that are worded to influence a person's response one way or another are called?
Push polls
Who does the president need support from to carry out presidential programs?
The public and congress
Name 2 out of 4 factors that influence the public opinions
What does intensity refer to?
the strength of an opinion on a given issue
Measuring public opinion by looking at election results is not always?
Reliable
Officials doesn't have to wait for what to see if people approve or disapprove of government policies?
How does the president get the support of congress and the public
If their popularity is high with the public
What do individuals who share a point of view about an issue do?
Unite and promote their beliefs
Most people opinions about civil rights are what?
more stable than their opinions
To find out peoples true opinion pollsters must be?
Careful on how they word their questions
Why do Critics argue about the polls?
They say polls treat an elections like a horse race, ignoring the candidates
Who said "I cannot go any faster than the people will let me."
D. Roosevelt
They trust those officials and rely on their opinions
Public opinion on candidates is relatively what?
Unstable
Nearly any answer they want
Why don't people bother voting if they feel like the election has already been won or lost?
Why is it important for the president to understand the public opinion?
It helps the president make effective decisions
What are things considered as the "mass media"?
Radio, newspapers, magazines, recordings, movies, Internet Web sites, and books
Americans hold the strongest what about issues that directly affect their lives?
Often 1,500 people will usually include both men and women of nearly what?
Other than public opinions name 3 of 6 groups that shape public policy?
Interest groups, Political parties, mass media, other institutions of government, and individuals