A. P Gov Essay – Flashcards
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Although public support for the death penalty in the US remains high , describe why the death penalty is viewed differently by Americans based on race and party affiliation
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white- approve blacks-dissaprove conservative-approve liberal-disaprove Conservatives want more order than equality and Blacks are the minority.
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Explain how the majoritarian and pluralist models of democracy differ greatly in their assumptions about the role of public opinion in democratic government
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Majoritarian- the gov. should do what a majority of the public wants, assumes that a majority of the people hold clear consistent opinions on gov. policy Pluralist- the public as a whole seldom demonstrates clear consistent opinions on the day-to-day issues of gov. recognize that subgroups within the public express opinions on specific matters, allow free expression
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Identify the agents of early political socialization, and provide some specific examples of how such political socialization can influence the way children learn to think about the nation and the government.
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Agents- primary- what is learned first is learned best. structuring= what is learned first structures later learning... Family, school, community and peers Family- learn our values School= elementary- introduce social order and authority figures. secondary- gov. and politics. college-question authority Community and peers- exert pressures
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How is education, income, race, and gender related to political beliefs and opinion?
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Education- increase awareness and understanding, high edu promotes unpopular opinion and behaviors, lower favor gov. action to guarantee jobs and good standard of living. Income- more wealthy favor a limited gov. role in promoting equality. lower income favor gov. gaurantees of employment and living Race- differ, minority groups display similar political views Political beliefs- diff- Protestant> Catholics > Jews Gender- differ, women more likely to favor gov actions promote equality
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Explain the media's role through the two-way flow of information in democracies that allows the electorate to hold government officials accountable for their actions.
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Two-step-flow elites become informed of political development, they inform their followers, to apply pressure on gov. More likely to influence public opinion(and not just followers) by sharing public opinion. define the way the issues will be viewed, heard, or read.
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Describe the significance of Congress passing the 1996 Telecommunications Act in relation to media station ownership, and the FCC's repeal of the fairness doctrine in 1987 which resulted in the growth of news and opinion alternatives made available to media consumers.
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Telecommunication Act of 1996- relaxed limitations on media ownership, eliminated limits of # of tv stations one company may own, no national limit for radio and relaxed local limits. FCC- some believed competition would make a vibrant market place of ideas. Reagan feared media wouldn't supply coverage to sustain. since no longer needed to cover all views, express idelogical viewpoints
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Explain what is meant by the media playing the role of gatekeeper.
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They decide which events to report and how to handle the elements in these stories. Uphold standards of careful reporting and principled journalism
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Explain why the 1965 march from Selma, Alabama to Montgomery, Alabama, though an unconventional form of political participation that led to violence, proved beneficial to the Civil Rights movement.
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Form of unconventional political participation. Govenor wouldnt allows this peaceful mode of unconventional expression. Civil Rights posed no threat of violence. response to the march helped the nation understand the seriousness of civil rights in the South.
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Explain the difference between supportive and influencing behavior, and provide some examples of each.
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Supportive action- that expresses allegiance to gov, and country( Pledge of Allegiance and flying the American Flag, voting) Influencing- behavior that seeks to modify or reverse gov. policy to serve political interest. pressure alderman to rebuild the curbs on their street or vote against an increase in school taxes, seek particular benefits from gov.
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Describe why people with a higher socioeconomic status engage in conventional political participation.
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Tend to be more aware of the effect of politics on their lives, to know what to be done to influence gov. actions, and have necessary resources, this is called standard socioeconomic model
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What explanations have researchers suggested for decreasing voter turnout in the United States?
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some believe voters attitudes toward politics, gov no longer responsive to citizens, politicians too packaged, that campaigns are too long, people losing initiaive or self-interest to vote
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Discuss the relationship between political participation and freedom, order, and equality.
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Participating and Freedom- should be free to participate in gov. and policies in the way they want and as much as they want- free to not participate Participation and Equality- each influence gov. should be equal to that of every other citizen, so that diff personal resources dont work against the poor Participation and Order- complicated some promote order and others disorder, gov tries to convert all participation to conventional
