PSCI 1050

Prof. James Meernik

Exam 1 Review Sheet
PUBLIC OPINION
1. What are the features and the definition of public opinion?
a. Public Opinion is preferences of the adult population on matters of importance to
government and the features that it portrays are issues! candidates! officials!
parties! and groups"#
2. What are salience! intensity! stability and direction in public opinion?
a. $alience is ho% important the issue is
b. $tability is the speed %ith %hich change occurs on opinion &presidential
popularity can change 'uic(ly) partisan identification not so 'uic(ly*
c. Intensity is a person opinion + N,- &option on .un Control*
. /irection is %hether public favors or opposes
!. Who are li(ely to be opinion leaders? What are their characteristics?
a. Ne%s! respected persons 0 people may pay more attention to those %ho %hose
opinions they have tended to agree %ith
b. 12pressing nuanced opinions has become difficult in a mar(etplace %here volume
counts more than content and accuracy
c. 3heir characteristics are that they most li(ely religious! have education#
". Which group of people do politicians pay the most attention to in elections?
a. ####
5. What is agenda setting4framing4priming? 5o% %ould these mechanisms influence public
opinion?
a. ###
$. 5o% can %e properly conduct an opinion poll? What is selection bias? /uring this
polling process! %hat can %e do to avoid selection bias?
a.
%. What is li(ely to cause measurement errors and %hat %ill not in a survey?
a. Problems
i# $alience
ii# Confusing 'uestions
iii# Over6simplified 'uestions
iv# 7alue6laden 'uestions
8# Not the same as push polling"
v# 9uestion order
&. What is sampling error! and %hat causes it?
a. ,andom sample 0 everyone should have a roughly e'ual chance of being selected#
Literary /igest Poll) polling fatigue) cell phones and privacy
'. What is the margin of error in a public opinion poll?
a. :;< margin of error
10. 5o% much and %hat type of influence do families! schools! peers! the media and other
such factors have on individual beliefs and opinions?
a. $ociali=ation 0 it ma(es you the political you are today because the influences
you e2perienced formed your opinion#
11. What do primacy and persistence mean in the conte2t of public opinion?
a. 3he first things that influenced you are the things that stay %ith you al%ays
12. 5o% do %e filter information about politics into our opinions and beliefs?
a. Partisanship
b. Ideology 0 a collection of ideas about a given set of issues
c. .roup >embership
i# Crosscutting
1!. What are the characteristics of a valence issue? 5o% do politicians ta(e advantage of
these valence issues in their campaigns?
a. Characteristics 6 ###
b. Politicians avoid position issues and focus on valence issues
>1/I-
1". What is statement bias? What are some e2amples#
a. >a(ing opinionated statements
15. What are selective perception and selective retention?
a. $elective perception 0 %e interpret information to conform %ith our beliefs 0 to
reduce cognitive dissonance
b. $election ,etention 0
1$. What is cognitive dissonance?
a.
1%. What happened in the Ne% ?or( 3imes vs# U$ case? What about 5ustler v# @al%ell!
Near vs# >innesota and Ne% ?or( 3imes vs# $ullivan?
a. N?3 v# U$+ court concluded the government had not met the burden of proving
that immeiate( inevitab)e an irre*arab)e harm %ould follo% publication
b. 5ustler v# @al%ell+ Political Parody is protected 0 even if the statements are
outragerous! can be protected
c. Near v# >innesota+ Publication of ne%spaper about local officials tied to
organi=ed crime is o(ay
. N?3 v# $ullivan+ Paper ran ad that local officials %ere trying to destroy >LA
integration campaign! but it contained factual errors &N11/ P,OO@*
1&. What is prior restraint?
a. -n effort by a governmental agency to bloc( the publication of materials it deems
libelous or harmful in some other %ay! or censorship
1'. What are libel and slander?
a. Libel 0 %ritten comments %hich defame persons) a %ritten statement made in
rec(less disregard of the truth" that is considered damaging to victim because it
is malicious! scandalous! B defamatory 0 can be punished#
b. $lander 0 &an oral statement ! made in rec(less disregard of the truth" %hich is
considered damaging to the victim because it is malicious! scandalous! B
defamatory"* can be punished by la%#
20. Who o%ns the media in the U#$#? What about other countries?
a. .overnment 0 very! very little 0 PB$
b. Private $ector 0 many businesses o%n many media outlets as %ell as
entertainment
i# Cross coverage
ii# -dvocacy coverage 0 @o2! >$NBC
c. 3he public 0 more and more on line and through organi=ations li(es Wi(ilea(s
21. Where do most -mericans get their ne%s?
a. #####
22. What are priming! agenda setting! and framing?
a. Priming+
i# We are cognitive misers" 0 the brain ta(es cues in one area for use
another! related area
ii# 3he media! by covering one story! activates other impressions! stories and
thoughts in the vie%erCs mind about other issues#
b. -genda setting+
i# If media covers an issue! people thin( it is important 0 agenda setting
ii# If the public begins evaluating president on basis of issue! that is priming
iii# If the coverage is biased in some manner against a religion! or one
personCs terrorist is another personCs freedom fighter! that influences
opinion
c. @raming+
i# What is the frame" of a story?
8# 3he perspective or angle that organi=es information and guides our
thin(ing
ii# @rames generated by
8# Culture 0 /avid vs# .oliath"
D# 1lites right to life" freedom of choice"
E# >edia
a# ,ight v# left
b# /aily $ho% 6 .ood or Bad
2!. What is advocacy Fournalism and %hich television net%or(s are its most noted
practitioners?
a. @o2! >$NBC
2". Who is 1d%ard $no%den and %hat did he do?
a. @ormer CI- and N$- employee and contractor disclosed top secret N$-
documents to 3he .uardian and Washington Post ne%spapers#
25. Who is Bradley >anning and %hat did he do?
a. U$ soldier conviceted in Guly DH8E of violations of the 1spionage -ct &sentenced
to E; years* because he released video of a stri(e in Ira'#
POLI3IC-L P-,3ICIP-3ION
2$. What are the possible factors that encourage4discourage voter turnout? Which group of
people are the most active in participating in voting? &3he elderly! the young! orII*
a. Possible factors are race! event! ethnicity!
b. 1lderly
2%. What is the definition of political efficacy? Why is it important?
a. ####
2&. What are the possible elements that determine political participation?
a. acts that aim at influencing the government! either by affecting the choice of
government personnel or by affecting the choices made by government
personnel" &7erba and Nie! 8:JD*
2'. What is the collective action problem? What are e2amples of collective benefits?
a. C#-#P# is+ ho% do %e get people to become involved if they can safely leave it to
others to do so?
b. C#B# is ####
!0. What difference can voter registration re'uirements ma(e in terms of voter turnout in the
U$? What about other countries?
a. ####
!1. What defines political entrepreneurs? Why are they important? What e2amples can you
thin( of?
a. ,aises chances of recruitment
b. >obili=e people
i# Politicians and groups that mobili=e people
!2. 5o% is civil society defined?
a. Collection action around shared interests! purposes and values
!!. What is social capital? .ive some e2amples? Why is it important for society as a %hole?
What has happened to -merican social capital according to ,obert Putman? What is to
blame for changes in social net%or(s and social capital according to Putnam?
a. $ocial capital creates value for the people %ho are connected and often for
bystanders as %ell#
i# 12+ social net%or(s
ii# Importance is that %ide variety of 'uite specific benefits that flo% from
the trust! reciprocity! information! and cooperation associated %ith social
net%or(s#
iii# ,obert says that %e have disconnected from the people that ma(e up the
civil society and therefore have less social capital
!". What is reciprocity? What does it mean for someone to reciprocate? Why does that matter
in social life?
a. ,eciprocity is ####
b. When someone fills you in or shares their e2pertise %ith you
c. Because they rely on the social net%or(s
!5. What is ,ational Choice 3heory and ho% is it applied to e2plaining voter turnout and
voting in elections in the U#$#?
a. ,ationality" meaning
i# People have preferences
ii# -ct to ma2imi=e those preferences4utility
iii# Constrained by
8# ,esources
D# Information
E# What other people do
!$. What impact is social media having on social capital?
a. Increase their intention on %hatCs happening around them
!%. Which groups in society are the most political engaged?
a. 1lderly people
N1W ?O,A 3I>1$ 9U1$3ION$
!&. What is President Obama proposing to do regarding the federal minimum %age?
!'. What is ,ussia doing to influence the government of U(raine! its economy and its
relationship %ith 1urope?
"0. What is President Obama %illing to compromise to reach an agreement on immigration
reform?
"1. -ccording to the Ne% ?or( 3imes! the lieutenant governorCs position in 3e2as is
important becauseIII?
"2. -ccording to the Ne% ?or( 3imes! the reason that budget surpluses %ill probably not
allo% states to implement large ta2 cuts or ne% e2penditures is?
"!. -ccording to the Ne% ?or( 3imes! %hy have some ,epublicans along %ith business
groups and labor unions supported increases in preschool spending?