{"id":534,"date":"2016-08-24T00:01:18","date_gmt":"2016-08-24T00:01:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/americangovernment\/?post_type=chapter&p=534"},"modified":"2017-07-11T14:37:31","modified_gmt":"2017-07-11T14:37:31","slug":"glossary-8","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/atd-monroecc-americangovernment\/chapter\/glossary-8\/","title":{"raw":"Glossary","rendered":"Glossary"},"content":{"raw":"

The Nature of Public Opinion<\/h2>\r\nagent of political socialization<\/strong> a person or entity that teaches and influences others about politics through use of information\r\n\r\nclassical liberalism<\/strong> a political ideology based on belief in individual liberties and rights and the idea of free will, with little role for government\r\n\r\ncommunism<\/strong> a political and economic system in which, in theory, government promotes common ownership of all property, means of production, and materials to prevent the exploitation of workers while creating an equal society; in practice, most communist governments have used force to maintain control\r\n\r\ncovert content<\/strong> ideologically slanted information presented as unbiased information in order to influence public opinion\r\n\r\ndiffuse support<\/strong> the widespread belief that a country and its legal system are legitimate\r\n\r\nfascism<\/strong> a political system of total control by the ruling party or political leader over the economy, the military, society, and culture and often the private lives of citizens\r\n\r\nmodern conservatism<\/strong> a political ideology that prioritizes individual liberties, preferring a smaller government that stays out of the economy\r\n\r\nmodern liberalism<\/strong> a political ideology focused on equality and supporting government intervention in society and the economy if it promotes equality\r\n\r\novert content<\/strong> political information whose author makes clear that only one side is presented\r\n\r\npolitical socialization<\/strong> the process of learning the norms and practices of a political system through others and societal institutions\r\n\r\npublic opinion<\/strong> a collection of opinions of an individual or a group of individuals on a topic, person, or event\r\n\r\nsocialism<\/strong> a political and economic system in which government uses its authority to promote social and economic equality, providing everyone with basic services and equal opportunities and requiring citizens with more wealth to contribute more\r\n\r\ntraditional conservatism<\/strong> a political ideology supporting the authority of the monarchy and the church in the belief that government provides the rule of law\r\n

How Is Public Opinion Measured?<\/h2>\r\nBradley effect<\/strong> the difference between a poll result and an election result in which voters gave a socially desirable poll response rather than a true response that might be perceived as racist\r\n\r\nexit poll<\/strong> an election poll taken by interviewing voters as they leave a polling place\r\n\r\nleading question<\/strong> a question worded to lead a respondent to give a desired answer\r\n\r\nmargin of error<\/strong> a number that states how far the poll results may be from the actual preferences of the total population of citizens\r\n\r\npush poll<\/strong> politically biased campaign information presented as a poll in order to change minds\r\n\r\nrandom sample<\/strong> a limited number of people from the overall population selected in such a way that each has an equal chance of being chosen\r\n\r\nrepresentative sample<\/strong> a group of respondents demographically similar to the population of interest\r\n\r\nstraw poll<\/strong> an informal and unofficial election poll conducted with a non-random population\r\n

What Does the Public Think?<\/h2>\r\nheuristics<\/strong> shortcuts or rules of thumb for decision making\r\n\r\npolitical culture<\/strong> the prevailing political attitudes and beliefs within a society or region\r\n\r\npolitical elite<\/strong> a political opinion leader who alerts the public to changes or problems\r\n

The Effects of Public Opinion<\/h2>\r\nbandwagon effect<\/strong> increased media coverage of candidates who poll high\r\n\r\nfavorability poll<\/strong> a public opinion poll that measures a public\u2019s positive feelings about a candidate or politician\r\n\r\nhorserace coverage<\/strong> day-to-day media coverage of candidate performance in the election\r\n\r\ntheory of delegate representation<\/strong> a theory that assumes the politician is in office to be the voice of the people and to vote only as the people want\r\n

What Is the Media?<\/h2>\r\nagenda setting<\/strong> the media\u2019s ability to choose which issues or topics get attention\r\n\r\nmass media<\/strong> the collection of all media forms that communicate information to the general public\r\n\r\npublic relations<\/strong> biased communication intended to improve the image of people, companies, or organizations\r\n

The Evolution of the Media<\/h2>\r\ncitizen journalism<\/strong> video and print news posted to the Internet or social media by citizens rather than the news media\r\n\r\ndigital paywall<\/strong> the need for a paid subscription to access published online material\r\n\r\nmuckraking<\/strong> news coverage focusing on exposing corrupt business and government practices\r\n\r\nparty press era<\/strong> period during the 1780s in which newspaper content was biased by political partisanship\r\n\r\nsoft news<\/strong> news presented in an entertaining style\r\n\r\nyellow journalism<\/strong> sensationalized coverage of scandals and human interest stories\r\n

Regulating the Media<\/h2>\r\nequal-time rule<\/strong> an FCC policy that all candidates running for office must be given the same radio and television airtime opportunities\r\n\r\nfairness doctrine<\/strong> a 1949 Federal Communications Commission (FCC) policy, now defunct, that required holders of broadcast licenses to cover controversial issues in a balanced manner\r\n\r\nFreedom of Information Act (FOIA)<\/strong> a federal statute that requires public agencies to provide certain types of information requested by citizens\r\n\r\nindecency regulations<\/strong> laws that limit indecent and obscene material on public airwaves\r\n\r\nlibel<\/strong> printed information about a person or organization that is not true and harms the reputation of the person or organization\r\n\r\nprior restraint<\/strong> a government action that stops someone from doing something before they are able to do it (e.g., forbidding someone to publish a book he or she plans to release)\r\n\r\nreporter\u2019s privilege<\/strong> the right of a journalist to keep a source confidential\r\n\r\nslander<\/strong> spoken information about a person or organization that is not true and harms the reputation of the person or organization\r\n\r\nsunshine laws<\/strong> laws that require government documents and proceedings to be made public\r\n

The Impact of the Media<\/h2>\r\nbeat<\/strong> the coverage area assigned to journalists for news or stories\r\n\r\ncultivation theory<\/strong> the idea that media affect a citizen\u2019s worldview through the information presented\r\n\r\nframing<\/strong> the process of giving a news story a specific context or background\r\n\r\nhypodermic theory<\/strong> the idea that information is placed in a citizen\u2019s brain and accepted\r\n\r\nminimal effects theory<\/strong> the idea that the media have little effect on citizens\r\n\r\npriming<\/strong> the process of predisposing readers or viewers to think a particular way","rendered":"

The Nature of Public Opinion<\/h2>\n

agent of political socialization<\/strong> a person or entity that teaches and influences others about politics through use of information<\/p>\n

classical liberalism<\/strong> a political ideology based on belief in individual liberties and rights and the idea of free will, with little role for government<\/p>\n

communism<\/strong> a political and economic system in which, in theory, government promotes common ownership of all property, means of production, and materials to prevent the exploitation of workers while creating an equal society; in practice, most communist governments have used force to maintain control<\/p>\n

covert content<\/strong> ideologically slanted information presented as unbiased information in order to influence public opinion<\/p>\n

diffuse support<\/strong> the widespread belief that a country and its legal system are legitimate<\/p>\n

fascism<\/strong> a political system of total control by the ruling party or political leader over the economy, the military, society, and culture and often the private lives of citizens<\/p>\n

modern conservatism<\/strong> a political ideology that prioritizes individual liberties, preferring a smaller government that stays out of the economy<\/p>\n

modern liberalism<\/strong> a political ideology focused on equality and supporting government intervention in society and the economy if it promotes equality<\/p>\n

overt content<\/strong> political information whose author makes clear that only one side is presented<\/p>\n

political socialization<\/strong> the process of learning the norms and practices of a political system through others and societal institutions<\/p>\n

public opinion<\/strong> a collection of opinions of an individual or a group of individuals on a topic, person, or event<\/p>\n

socialism<\/strong> a political and economic system in which government uses its authority to promote social and economic equality, providing everyone with basic services and equal opportunities and requiring citizens with more wealth to contribute more<\/p>\n

traditional conservatism<\/strong> a political ideology supporting the authority of the monarchy and the church in the belief that government provides the rule of law<\/p>\n

How Is Public Opinion Measured?<\/h2>\n

Bradley effect<\/strong> the difference between a poll result and an election result in which voters gave a socially desirable poll response rather than a true response that might be perceived as racist<\/p>\n

exit poll<\/strong> an election poll taken by interviewing voters as they leave a polling place<\/p>\n

leading question<\/strong> a question worded to lead a respondent to give a desired answer<\/p>\n

margin of error<\/strong> a number that states how far the poll results may be from the actual preferences of the total population of citizens<\/p>\n

push poll<\/strong> politically biased campaign information presented as a poll in order to change minds<\/p>\n

random sample<\/strong> a limited number of people from the overall population selected in such a way that each has an equal chance of being chosen<\/p>\n

representative sample<\/strong> a group of respondents demographically similar to the population of interest<\/p>\n

straw poll<\/strong> an informal and unofficial election poll conducted with a non-random population<\/p>\n

What Does the Public Think?<\/h2>\n

heuristics<\/strong> shortcuts or rules of thumb for decision making<\/p>\n

political culture<\/strong> the prevailing political attitudes and beliefs within a society or region<\/p>\n

political elite<\/strong> a political opinion leader who alerts the public to changes or problems<\/p>\n

The Effects of Public Opinion<\/h2>\n

bandwagon effect<\/strong> increased media coverage of candidates who poll high<\/p>\n

favorability poll<\/strong> a public opinion poll that measures a public\u2019s positive feelings about a candidate or politician<\/p>\n

horserace coverage<\/strong> day-to-day media coverage of candidate performance in the election<\/p>\n

theory of delegate representation<\/strong> a theory that assumes the politician is in office to be the voice of the people and to vote only as the people want<\/p>\n

What Is the Media?<\/h2>\n

agenda setting<\/strong> the media\u2019s ability to choose which issues or topics get attention<\/p>\n

mass media<\/strong> the collection of all media forms that communicate information to the general public<\/p>\n

public relations<\/strong> biased communication intended to improve the image of people, companies, or organizations<\/p>\n

The Evolution of the Media<\/h2>\n

citizen journalism<\/strong> video and print news posted to the Internet or social media by citizens rather than the news media<\/p>\n

digital paywall<\/strong> the need for a paid subscription to access published online material<\/p>\n

muckraking<\/strong> news coverage focusing on exposing corrupt business and government practices<\/p>\n

party press era<\/strong> period during the 1780s in which newspaper content was biased by political partisanship<\/p>\n

soft news<\/strong> news presented in an entertaining style<\/p>\n

yellow journalism<\/strong> sensationalized coverage of scandals and human interest stories<\/p>\n

Regulating the Media<\/h2>\n

equal-time rule<\/strong> an FCC policy that all candidates running for office must be given the same radio and television airtime opportunities<\/p>\n

fairness doctrine<\/strong> a 1949 Federal Communications Commission (FCC) policy, now defunct, that required holders of broadcast licenses to cover controversial issues in a balanced manner<\/p>\n

Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)<\/strong> a federal statute that requires public agencies to provide certain types of information requested by citizens<\/p>\n

indecency regulations<\/strong> laws that limit indecent and obscene material on public airwaves<\/p>\n

libel<\/strong> printed information about a person or organization that is not true and harms the reputation of the person or organization<\/p>\n

prior restraint<\/strong> a government action that stops someone from doing something before they are able to do it (e.g., forbidding someone to publish a book he or she plans to release)<\/p>\n

reporter\u2019s privilege<\/strong> the right of a journalist to keep a source confidential<\/p>\n

slander<\/strong> spoken information about a person or organization that is not true and harms the reputation of the person or organization<\/p>\n

sunshine laws<\/strong> laws that require government documents and proceedings to be made public<\/p>\n

The Impact of the Media<\/h2>\n

beat<\/strong> the coverage area assigned to journalists for news or stories<\/p>\n

cultivation theory<\/strong> the idea that media affect a citizen\u2019s worldview through the information presented<\/p>\n

framing<\/strong> the process of giving a news story a specific context or background<\/p>\n

hypodermic theory<\/strong> the idea that information is placed in a citizen\u2019s brain and accepted<\/p>\n

minimal effects theory<\/strong> the idea that the media have little effect on citizens<\/p>\n

priming<\/strong> the process of predisposing readers or viewers to think a particular way<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t

Candela Citations<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
CC licensed content, Shared previously<\/div>