UNC PLCY 220 Final Concepts
Downsian Model of Partisanship - CORRECT ANSWER-rational component. Party ID is
result of our judgements made on each party given our ideological preferences.
SIGNIFICANT because the public identifies with party based on own views and
rationale
Partisan as a Social Idnetity - CORRECT ANSWER-People care more about policy and
political groups than their social pride. People are moving their preferences to their
party. SIGNIFICANT because there are now more uninformed people because they rely
extensively on their party
Diversity Critique of Models - CORRECT ANSWER-More diversity is leading to more
indepent parties. Preferences change over time, more republican as you get more rich.
SIGNIFICANT because it argues against the Michigan model
Opinion Dike - CORRECT ANSWER-Boundary of acceptable policy proposals that
public opinion sets, breadth of problem determined by salience. SIGNIFICANT because
it guides officials in making decisions acceptable to the public.
Zaller's RAS Model - CORRECT ANSWER-public opinion reflects messages they've
received from the news, what they've accepted based on considerarions on prior
beliefs, and what they've sampled based on what issues are currently salient.
SIGNIFICANT because its a way in which people can form opinions for parties and
policy. Problems with framing and priming
Partisanship - CORRECT ANSWER-Identifying with a certain political party
SIGNIFICANT because it gives insight to voter participtaion and who will vote in what
way
Ideology - CORRECT ANSWER-an individuals beliefs, opinions, and attitudes in
respect to the way they believe members should act
SIGNIFICANT because it plays a major part in how voters divide themselves into parties
Cognitive Dissonance - CORRECT ANSWER-Holding inconsistent ideas in one's mind.
SIGNIFICANT becuse it increases polarization, people vote for party instead of best
interests.
Michigan Model for Partisanship - CORRECT ANSWER-Party identification is a
psychological attachment built through socialization(parents and peers) to an institution
being a political party. SIGNIFICANT because it's the traditional explanation for party ID
, Cognitive Distortions - CORRECT ANSWER-Refusing something to be true even if
there are facts against it. Overconfidence
Policy responsiveness - CORRECT ANSWER-when government acts upon constituents
concerns
Policy congruence - CORRECT ANSWER-policy matches the preference of the
constituent SIGNIFICANT because it measures how well the government responds to
public in policy making and implementing
Partisan sorting - CORRECT ANSWER-people congregate into their parties based on
their policy issue SIGNIFICANT because it leads people to vote for their partisan on all
policy issues
Idealogues - CORRECT ANSWER-small portion of the public that has a solid and
consistent political belief system and understands how a set of opinions matches a
political philosophy
Heuristics - CORRECT ANSWER-voting with your partisan despite some differences.
Bad because it makes things clunky SIGNIFICANT people choose opinions on policies
Political participation - CORRECT ANSWER-Mechanism by which the wants and needs
of citizens are communicated to political decision makers and by which pressure is
brought to break on them to respond. They do this through twitter and letters.
SIGNIFICANT because it allows constituents to influence policy
VAP - CORRECT ANSWER-the voting age population. people who are older than 18
VEP - CORRECT ANSWER-voting eligible population. people who are eligible to vote
under law SIGNIFICANT because the difference between VEP and VAP is increasing a
lot because of mass incarceration and immigration
Internal efficacy - CORRECT ANSWER-the belief that you can personally make a
difference in policy
External efficacy - CORRECT ANSWER-belief that the representative will listen to you
and will represent you SIGNIFICANT because when the government gets less tangible
external efficacy changes but internal efficacy is always constant
Collective Action Problem - CORRECT ANSWER-A situation in which the members of a
group would benefit by working together to produce some outcome, but each individual
is better off refusing to cooperate and reaping benefits from those who do the work.
SIGNIFICANT because political parties solve this problem
Policy demanders and activists - CORRECT ANSWER-people who want to see
lefislation on certin issues passed. Characterized by 3 criteria: animated by a demand,
Downsian Model of Partisanship - CORRECT ANSWER-rational component. Party ID is
result of our judgements made on each party given our ideological preferences.
SIGNIFICANT because the public identifies with party based on own views and
rationale
Partisan as a Social Idnetity - CORRECT ANSWER-People care more about policy and
political groups than their social pride. People are moving their preferences to their
party. SIGNIFICANT because there are now more uninformed people because they rely
extensively on their party
Diversity Critique of Models - CORRECT ANSWER-More diversity is leading to more
indepent parties. Preferences change over time, more republican as you get more rich.
SIGNIFICANT because it argues against the Michigan model
Opinion Dike - CORRECT ANSWER-Boundary of acceptable policy proposals that
public opinion sets, breadth of problem determined by salience. SIGNIFICANT because
it guides officials in making decisions acceptable to the public.
Zaller's RAS Model - CORRECT ANSWER-public opinion reflects messages they've
received from the news, what they've accepted based on considerarions on prior
beliefs, and what they've sampled based on what issues are currently salient.
SIGNIFICANT because its a way in which people can form opinions for parties and
policy. Problems with framing and priming
Partisanship - CORRECT ANSWER-Identifying with a certain political party
SIGNIFICANT because it gives insight to voter participtaion and who will vote in what
way
Ideology - CORRECT ANSWER-an individuals beliefs, opinions, and attitudes in
respect to the way they believe members should act
SIGNIFICANT because it plays a major part in how voters divide themselves into parties
Cognitive Dissonance - CORRECT ANSWER-Holding inconsistent ideas in one's mind.
SIGNIFICANT becuse it increases polarization, people vote for party instead of best
interests.
Michigan Model for Partisanship - CORRECT ANSWER-Party identification is a
psychological attachment built through socialization(parents and peers) to an institution
being a political party. SIGNIFICANT because it's the traditional explanation for party ID
, Cognitive Distortions - CORRECT ANSWER-Refusing something to be true even if
there are facts against it. Overconfidence
Policy responsiveness - CORRECT ANSWER-when government acts upon constituents
concerns
Policy congruence - CORRECT ANSWER-policy matches the preference of the
constituent SIGNIFICANT because it measures how well the government responds to
public in policy making and implementing
Partisan sorting - CORRECT ANSWER-people congregate into their parties based on
their policy issue SIGNIFICANT because it leads people to vote for their partisan on all
policy issues
Idealogues - CORRECT ANSWER-small portion of the public that has a solid and
consistent political belief system and understands how a set of opinions matches a
political philosophy
Heuristics - CORRECT ANSWER-voting with your partisan despite some differences.
Bad because it makes things clunky SIGNIFICANT people choose opinions on policies
Political participation - CORRECT ANSWER-Mechanism by which the wants and needs
of citizens are communicated to political decision makers and by which pressure is
brought to break on them to respond. They do this through twitter and letters.
SIGNIFICANT because it allows constituents to influence policy
VAP - CORRECT ANSWER-the voting age population. people who are older than 18
VEP - CORRECT ANSWER-voting eligible population. people who are eligible to vote
under law SIGNIFICANT because the difference between VEP and VAP is increasing a
lot because of mass incarceration and immigration
Internal efficacy - CORRECT ANSWER-the belief that you can personally make a
difference in policy
External efficacy - CORRECT ANSWER-belief that the representative will listen to you
and will represent you SIGNIFICANT because when the government gets less tangible
external efficacy changes but internal efficacy is always constant
Collective Action Problem - CORRECT ANSWER-A situation in which the members of a
group would benefit by working together to produce some outcome, but each individual
is better off refusing to cooperate and reaping benefits from those who do the work.
SIGNIFICANT because political parties solve this problem
Policy demanders and activists - CORRECT ANSWER-people who want to see
lefislation on certin issues passed. Characterized by 3 criteria: animated by a demand,
