Government Chapter 8 – Flashcards
Unlock all answers in this set
Unlock answersquestion
An example of public orion would include the views people have about the
answer
political parties
question
Children first begin to learn about politics and current events from
answer
their family
question
Which form of mass media probably is most influential on public orion in the U.S.?
answer
television
question
One was historical events of the 1960s and 1970s have affected public orion is that
answer
many americans have less trust in government
question
Why are the media not a good way of measuring public opinion?
answer
the media often reflect only the vies if a vocal minority
question
The failed Literary Digest of 1963 did not
answer
correctly reflect the universe to be measured
question
What aspects of public orion are most difficult to measure?
answer
intensity, stability, and relevance of opinions
question
The most widely used sources for political news and information are television and
answer
the internet
question
The media influences politics primary by
answer
telling people what they think about
question
Why is the term public orion so hard to describe or understand?
answer
because there are many publics with many opinions
question
What is the role of schools play in the formation of political opinions in children?
answer
schools indoctrinate children to be good citizens
question
People who have an unusually strong influence on the views if others are called
answer
opinion leaders
question
Which of the following will most likely reinforce the opinions a person already has?
answer
peer groups
question
How did the prosperity of the 1950's influence public orion?
answer
It made people optimistic
question
Because election results are often seen as indicators of public orion, a victorious candidate may claim to have a _________ from voters.
answer
mandate
question
Polls that seek to read the public's mind simply by asking the same question of a large number if people who are not identified according to any specific principles are called
answer
straw votes
question
What makes a scientific poll scientific?
answer
it is constructed using principles designed to produce a sample that accurately reflects the universe
question
In the polling process, what is the universe?
answer
the whole population that the poll aims to measure
question
In the polling process, what does the pollster do after constructing a sample?
answer
prepares valid questions
question
If a polling sample is deliberately constructed to reflect the major characteristics of a given universe, it is a
answer
quota sample
question
Pollsters have difficulty measuring all of the following except
answer
attitude
question
One reason why public opinion should not be the final determinant of public policy is that
answer
public opinion does not reflect minority views and interests
question
Why has the Internet transformed the way people get political information?
answer
the internet allows two-way communication of information and opinions
question
What relationship do candidates and their campaigns have with the media?
answer
candidates try to manipulate media coverage to their advantage
question
most news consumers tend to
answer
seek sources that agree with them
question
What is the main difference between television and newspaper coverage of the news?
answer
television mostly "skims" the news, while newspapers go more in depth
question
Usually the earliest and longest-lasting influence on people's political options are
answer
family and school
question
different generations often have different views on public affairs because if
answer
historic events
question
The main problem with using interest groups to measure public opinion is that
answer
it is hard to tell how many people are represented by an interest group
question
What is the best way to measure public opinion?
answer
concluding scientific opinion polls
question
The first step in the polling process is to
answer
define the universe
question
What do you call a situation in which voters are influences by polls out of a desire to support a winner?
answer
the bandwagon effect
