Exam # 2 Study Guide Lectures: 6-8Lecture 6 Public Opinion (Political Participation) - Public Opinion Basics- The Face of American Values- Issues of Political Socialization- Public Opinion Polls- Political participationPublic Opinion- The distribution of the population’s beliefs about politics and policy issues.Demographics - We can use these characteristics of the population to generalize about public opinion.Census - Tool for understanding population changes- Required by Constitution every 10 years Changing America - Regional shift in population from east to west- Reappointment: Reallocating seats in House every ten years based on census- Melting PotMinority Majority - Whites are decreasing, Hispanics and African Americans are increasing Political Culture - An overall set of values widely shared within a society. Political Socialization - The process through which an individual acquires particular political orientation. How different people from different backgrounds get along. - Family, School, Media all influence our political views - Older we get the more involved with politics and news we become Measuring Public Opinion - Sample, random sampling, sampling error- Exit polls: polls of people as they leave the voting booth, used to predict election day winners. Public Opinion - Only about 25% public trust government - Trust in government went up after 911 but then again downLecture 7PoliSci 1050 1st EditionNews MediaWhat is mass media and what role does it play in American politics?What characterizes news coverage today?What about bias?How do media affect politics and policy?Mass Media - Television, radio, newspapers, magazines, the Internet, and other means of popular communication.- Media are not dominant linkage institutions today. Media focuses on the negative. - Print media, broadcast media, Fragmented mediaReporting the News - Trial Balloons: intentional news leaks to access the political reactionMedia Bias -People believe the mass media news favors one point of view over another-Ideological bias may be increasing as news channels target more specific audiencesNew and Public Opinion - Television news can affect what people think is important.- Some stories can be made more or less important than others depending on who is talking about the topic on the news.Television and agenda - Television increases an issues importance. For example if it is the leading story more people are going to watch because it is the first issue the news is reporting. - Less Americans watch television news. Evening news viewership has decreased from 1980 to 2012. - “Information is the fuel of democracy” Lecture 8Interest Groups What are interest groups? What do they do?What are some theories of groups? Pluralism, Elitism, and Hyperpluralism What kinds of groups are successful? What about collective action and free rider problems?PACs, interest groups, and moneyInterest Groups - An organization of people with shared policy goals entering the policy process who try to achieve those goals.- Interest groups are different from political parties in that political parties fightelection battles and interest groups do not field candidates but can choose a side. Theories of Interest Groups - Pluralist Theory: Politics is a competition between groups each groups wanting their own policies- Elite Theory: Societies are divided by class lines where upper-class rules - Hyperpluralist theory: groups are so strong that the government is weak. This is an exaggeration of pluralism Pluralism - Groups are the linkage between people and government. Groups compete and no one group will become dominant - Lobbying is open to all so there is no problem - A linkage institution for all Elitism - The largest corporations hold the most power and the power is held by few. - Other groups may win with smaller policy battle but when it comes to the big policies the elite will always win. - Lobbying is a problem because it benefits the few - Linkage institution for the elite few Hyperpluralism - Sub government has a network of groups that have mass power and over specify policy areas. - Also known as the iron triangle because of the interest groups, government agencies, and congressional committees Types of interest groups - Economic Interests- Environmental - Equality - Consumer and Public Interest Lobbies Collective Action - Is good that, once provided, cannot be withheld from a non group member.REVIEW BLACKBOARD FOR VOCAB TO REVIEW UNDER EXAM 2