©THEBRIGHT EXAM STUDY SOLUTIONS 8/22/2024 12:54 PM
PSCI 1101 Midterm 2 Exam Questions
With Correct Answers.
Public Opinion - answer✔✔describes what the population thinks about politics and government
* relative to gov, public policy, and societal concern
*sets boundaries of debate
*acts as a political resources
*RARELY does it act as the determining force of making public policy
*setting boundaries
*self-governance makes public opinion important
*Americans share values
*politicians make appeals based on public opinion
*not fixed
Ideology/Conservative Ideology - answer✔✔a way of describing beliefs in terms of a position on
the spectrum running from liberal to moderate to conservative
*relatively stable over time
Latent Opinion - answer✔✔an opinion formed on the spot when it is needed as distinct from a
deeply held opinion that is stable over time
Public Socialization - answer✔✔process by which an individuals political opinions are shaped
by other people and the surrounding culture
*children adopt their parents political views
Mass Survey - answer✔✔a way to measure public opinion by interviewing a large sample of the
population
Population - answer✔✔the group of people that a researcher or pollster wants to study
(evangelicals, senior citizens or Americans)
, ©THEBRIGHT EXAM STUDY SOLUTIONS 8/22/2024 12:54 PM
Sample - answer✔✔within a population, the group of people surveyed in order to gauge the
whole populations opinion
Sampling Error - answer✔✔a calculation that describes what percentage of the people surveyed
may not accurately represent the population being studies
*Increasing the number of respondents lowers sampling error
Random Sample - answer✔✔subsection of a population chosen to participate in a survey through
a selection process in which every member of the population has equal chance of being chosen.
This improves accuracy of public opinion data.
Ideological Population - answer✔✔the effect on the public opinion when many citizens moves
away from moderate positions and toward either end of the political spectrum, identifying
themselves as either liberals or conservatives.
Policy Mood - answer✔✔level of public support for expanding the government role in society,
whether the public wants government action of a specific issue.
Actors - answer✔✔attitudes about important political figures
Policy - answer✔✔attitudes towards general and specific issues
Salience - answer✔✔importance of problems and solutions
Facts/Preferences - answer✔✔what do people know/think they know
Values - answer✔✔support for democratic/social values
Mass Media - answer✔✔sources that provide information to the average citizen such as
newspaper, tv, radio, podcasts and websites
*day-to-day basis
Wire Service - answer✔✔organization that gathers news and sells it to other media outlets.
Invention of the telegraph in the early 1800s made this possible
Yellow Journalism - answer✔✔style of newspaper popular in the late 1800s that featured
sensationalized stories, bold headlines and illustrations to increase readership
Investigative Journalism - answer✔✔reporters who dig deeply into a particular topic of public
opinion
FCC (federal communications commission) - answer✔✔government agency created in 1934 to
regulate radio and later tv, wireless communication technology and other broadcast media.
Broadcast Media - answer✔✔communication technologies such as tv, radio that transmit info
over airwaves
PSCI 1101 Midterm 2 Exam Questions
With Correct Answers.
Public Opinion - answer✔✔describes what the population thinks about politics and government
* relative to gov, public policy, and societal concern
*sets boundaries of debate
*acts as a political resources
*RARELY does it act as the determining force of making public policy
*setting boundaries
*self-governance makes public opinion important
*Americans share values
*politicians make appeals based on public opinion
*not fixed
Ideology/Conservative Ideology - answer✔✔a way of describing beliefs in terms of a position on
the spectrum running from liberal to moderate to conservative
*relatively stable over time
Latent Opinion - answer✔✔an opinion formed on the spot when it is needed as distinct from a
deeply held opinion that is stable over time
Public Socialization - answer✔✔process by which an individuals political opinions are shaped
by other people and the surrounding culture
*children adopt their parents political views
Mass Survey - answer✔✔a way to measure public opinion by interviewing a large sample of the
population
Population - answer✔✔the group of people that a researcher or pollster wants to study
(evangelicals, senior citizens or Americans)
, ©THEBRIGHT EXAM STUDY SOLUTIONS 8/22/2024 12:54 PM
Sample - answer✔✔within a population, the group of people surveyed in order to gauge the
whole populations opinion
Sampling Error - answer✔✔a calculation that describes what percentage of the people surveyed
may not accurately represent the population being studies
*Increasing the number of respondents lowers sampling error
Random Sample - answer✔✔subsection of a population chosen to participate in a survey through
a selection process in which every member of the population has equal chance of being chosen.
This improves accuracy of public opinion data.
Ideological Population - answer✔✔the effect on the public opinion when many citizens moves
away from moderate positions and toward either end of the political spectrum, identifying
themselves as either liberals or conservatives.
Policy Mood - answer✔✔level of public support for expanding the government role in society,
whether the public wants government action of a specific issue.
Actors - answer✔✔attitudes about important political figures
Policy - answer✔✔attitudes towards general and specific issues
Salience - answer✔✔importance of problems and solutions
Facts/Preferences - answer✔✔what do people know/think they know
Values - answer✔✔support for democratic/social values
Mass Media - answer✔✔sources that provide information to the average citizen such as
newspaper, tv, radio, podcasts and websites
*day-to-day basis
Wire Service - answer✔✔organization that gathers news and sells it to other media outlets.
Invention of the telegraph in the early 1800s made this possible
Yellow Journalism - answer✔✔style of newspaper popular in the late 1800s that featured
sensationalized stories, bold headlines and illustrations to increase readership
Investigative Journalism - answer✔✔reporters who dig deeply into a particular topic of public
opinion
FCC (federal communications commission) - answer✔✔government agency created in 1934 to
regulate radio and later tv, wireless communication technology and other broadcast media.
Broadcast Media - answer✔✔communication technologies such as tv, radio that transmit info
over airwaves
