EXAM 3 REVIEW MariNicole Infranca Public Opinion The Media Campaigns and Elections Political Parties Divided Government presidency is controlled by one party while the opposing party controls one or both houses of Congress Elite Theory societies are divided along class lines and there will be an upper elite class who rules regardless Law of Large Groups the larger the group the more you face the problem of free riders o Why should I put money into something if I m going to receive the benefits anyway Why is a free media necessary if not citizens would not have any knowledge of government actions other than what the government chose to reveal Purpose of the national primaries in the US to nominate a candidate to represent a political party for elected office Party In Electorate those who identify and support a political party Sampling Bias polling error that happens when the sample is not representative of the population leading to either over representation or under representation of some opinions Generational Effects you may vote a certain way because of the generation you were born in Agents of Socialization how public opinion is formed o Family o School Peers o Political conditions o The media o Political parties o Social groups Interest groups o Environment Sources of News in America o Television most impact most watched o Print most important o Internet allows for consumers to shape the news SOCIAL MEDIA o Radio exhibits extreme views Media means medium which refers to many different forms Functions of the Media o Reporting the news o Entertainment o Identifying public problems o Socializing new generations o Making profits o Providing political forum Media Powers o Framing o Agenda setting o Priming o Gate Keeping decade How do American s identify themselves politically in the last o Majority sides with democrats when it comes to parties o Majority sides with liberals when it comes to ideologies Interest groups increase when government grows Framing power of the media to influence how events and issues are interpreted certain light Free Riders those who enjoy the benefits of collective goods but do not participate in acquiring them Indirect Interest Group Tactics advertising and demonstrations creating rating system Party In Government any member who is elected to office under party label What causes public opinion to change o Lifestyle effects opinions change as our lifestyles change o Generational effects opinions of a generation change when events crises occur How is public opinion measured o Representative sampling opinion sampling must be representative of the population under observation o The Principle of Randomness everyone has a chance of being in the sample Sample Error polling error that arises based on the small size of a sample Who do third parties in the US represent social and economic interests that are disregarded by the two major parties for certain reasons Problems with Polling o Only a snapshot o Sampling bias o Sample error o Designed to illicit a certain response o Not worded properly Function of Elections in Democracy to nominate a candidate Why is money in the presidential elections necessary Because momentum money and media attention wins elections in the US Party Organization make up the party s formal organizations and stresses national organization to raise money and give assistance to local candidates and party units PACs Political Action Committees organizations that collect money to distribute to candidates who support the same issues as the contributors Why is it difficult for third parties to control the government Because they have little to no influence Plurality Rule Winner Take All principle Agenda Setting power of the media to bring publication to certain issues and problems Front Loading holding primary at the beginning of the election year want to have the first primaries so that they will be able to have a say in the nominations Three Faces of Political Parties o Party In Electorate o Party In Government o Party Organization Direct Interest Group Tactics lobbying testifying before congress help draft policies fund campaigns ruler makers Typical Membership of Interest Groups increasing number of memberships give people a chance to be heard people who have a good job are well educated and have money are more likely to join trying to protect benefits Conservative generally support the social and economic statues quo believe that a large and powerful government poses a threat to Public Opinion citizens attitude about political issues leaders citizens freedom institutions and events Political Parties organized groups that attempt to influence the government by electing their members to public office How did some states use laws to discriminate used laws to discourage certain groups from registering Sample Size a sample of the total population should accurately and proportionally reflect views of the whole population Libertarian one who favors minimal government and maximum individual freedom skeptical of any government intervention and sees it as a potential threat to individual freedom Liberal generally support social and political reform extensive government intervention more vigorous efforts on behalf of minorities and the poor Interest Groups any voluntary association that seeks to publicly promote and create advantages for its cause Media Organization 90 of the media in the US is owned by Walt Disney time warner news corporation Viacom CBS GE Regulation of Media regulate content and ownership Responsible Party in Government idealizes a strong role for parties in defining their stance on issues mobilizing voters and fulfilling their campaign promises once in office Interest groups that are related to material items tend to be more successful Drawbacks of the Interest Group System Law of Large Groups and the Free Rider problem Functions of Interest Groups provide more information about an issue to network with like minded people to serve individual interests to serve for collective goods cultivates relationships between people and government officials and policy makers Five Major Electoral Realignments in American History 1800 From 1828 to 1860 who controlled the government 1828 1860 1896 1932 democrats Who controlled the government in the US from the years after the civil war 1860 s to 1930 s republicans Electoral Realignment point in history when a a ruling party is supplanted by a new dominant political force therefore making