Chapter 6
Public Opinion
Public Opinion
What is the definition of public opinion?
The collective attitudes and beliefs of individuals on one or more issues.
What is the difference between the voting-age population and voting-eligible population?
Voting-age population includes everyone over 18; voting-eligible excludes non-citizens and ineligible felons.
What is the mass media, and how does it influence public opinion?
Media sources like TV, internet, newspapers that influence what people think about.
What is a political party?
An organized group that seeks to gain power through elections and influence policy.
What is political socialization?
The process by which individuals acquire political beliefs and values.
What is the definition of a registered voter?
A person who has officially enrolled to vote in elections.
What is agenda setting in the media?
The media's ability to influence what topics people consider important.
What are the main functions of political parties?
Recruit candidates, organize elections, present policy alternatives, mobilize voters, govern.
Name three agents of political socialization and identify which is typically the strongest.
Family (strongest), schools, media.
List two factors that increase voter turnout and two factors that decrease it.
Increase: education level, strong political interest; Decrease: voter ID laws, apathy, registration difficulty.
What is the difference between priming and framing?
Priming: media influences the criteria people use to judge issues
Framing: media shapes how an issue is presented or understood
What is the difference between a party platform and party ideology?
Platform: specific policy positions
Ideology: broad belief system
What are the key components of a public opinion poll?
Sample, random sampling, sample size, margin of error, question wording.
What is the difference between a primary and a caucus?
A primary is a statewide voting process; a caucus is a local meeting where party members discuss and vote.
Describe a positive and a negative aspect of increased media exposure in modern society.
Positive: more political awareness
Negative: misinformation, polarization, echo chambers
Define party organization, party in government, and party in the electorate.
Organization: formal party structure
In government: elected officials
In electorate: voters who identify with a party
What are two problems or limitations with public opinion surveys?
Biased wording, leading questions, small or unrepresentative samples, push polls.
What is the difference between a closed and open primary? Also define retrospective vs prospective voting.
Closed: only party members vote
Open: any registered voter can choose
Retrospective: vote based on past performance
Prospective: based on future promises
How do media techniques like agenda setting, priming, and framing shape public perceptions of politics and policies?
They determine what people think about (agenda), how they evaluate issues (priming), and how they understand them (framing).
Explain how party organization, party in government, and party in the electorate interact to influence elections and policy-making.
Organization recruits and funds candidates, elected officials pass policies, electorate supports party through votes and activism.