public opinion - Answers -The collected attitudes of citizens on a given issue or
question.
Why is public opinion important? - Answers -Because in a democracy, there must be
some link between what the public thinks, and what the government does. The nature of
that link can vary greatly.
Who is most interested in public opinion? - Answers -Elected officials, academics, the
people
Why are elected officials interested in public opinion? - Answers -Public opinion may
influence government decision-making
Why are academics interested in public opinion? - Answers -Seek to understand why
people behave the way they do.
Why are the people interested in public opinion? - Answers -May be motivated to
become active in politics.
Where does public opinion come from? - Answers -Political socialization
Political socialization - Answers -A complex process through which individuals become
aware of politics, learn political facts, and form political values. It occurs throughout our
lives.
Generational effects - Answers -Specific age group uniquely affected by a set of
historical events (Vietnam, Great Depression)
Life cycle effects - Answers -Political views are influenced by maturation.
Period effects - Answers -Historical event affect everyone (end of cold war caused
everyone to spend less on defense)
Agents of socialization - Answers -Family, community, education, peers, mass media,
interest groups, pop culture
Our behavior may also be based on our biology. - Answers -Nature vs. Nurture
, How do we know what public opinion is? - Answers -We used to have to guess - now
we do polls.
How do polls work? - Answers -The statistical theory of sampling
What determines the accuracy of a poll? - Answers -the way the sample is selected, the
size of the sample, the way the survey is put together
Random sampling - Answers -A sample of individuals selected by change from any
population is representative of that population.
Question wording - Answers -survey responses on "welfare" vs. "assisting the poor,"
leading questions, social desirability, question clarity, double-barreled question,
question require knowledge the person doesn't have, question ordering
How do polls affect opinion? - Answers -Bandwagon and underdog effects, they affect
candidates, politicians, media coverage, and even election results.
Bandwagon - Answers -candidate is doing well, other people are voting for him, so you
vote for him.
Underdog - Answers -Vote for the candidate who is not doing well
Class survey - Answers -More republican students, students identify parents as more
extreme, strong correlation with parent party identification (women strongly influenced
by mother), see issues through a partisan lens
Mass media - Answers -Technology that allows individuals to communicate efficiently
with a large group and over distances
Where did most students get their news? - Answers -Newspapers, internet, television
How do candidates and politicians use the media? - Answers -Trying to build an image -
be seen a certain way
Controlled Media - Answers -candidates control the content of the message. Primarily
political advertisements
Advertisements - Answers -the first presidential television ads were aired in 1952 - have
changed and evolved over time.
Positive (acclaim) ads - Answers -self-praise
Negative (attack) ads - Answers -criticism of opponent
Defense ads - Answers -responses to attacks
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