Question 1

Most Americans' political judgments are based on latent opinions.What does that mean and what are latent opinions based upon? Provide an example of an issue in which most Americans would base their judgment on a latent opinion.

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Question 2

What is public opinion? What do political scientists understand about public opinion? What can the study of public opinion teach us about the way American government functions?

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Question 3

By far the most common way of judging public opinion is through the use of mass surveys.What are the main attributes of mass surveys? What are some of their principal strengths and weaknesses when used to understand public opinion? Are mass surveys,on the whole,a reliable way to understand public opinion? Why or why not?

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Question 4

Which of the following terms describes a situation in which the media influences the types of issues that people pay attention to?

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Question 5

The authors of the text conclude that although the average American is not an expert on government policies,a small amount of information can be enough to inform one's beliefs.This is important because:

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Question 6

The average American is not an expert on government policies and knows relatively little about possible policy alternatives.Is this changing with widespread access to the Internet? Why or why not? Is it a problem in a representative democracy when average citizens know little about public policy? Why or why not?

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Question 7

Research about media bias shows that:

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...

Question 8

Americans' views on public policy are generally characterized by conflict.Explain the public's conflict in one of the following areas: The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan,health care,immigration,gay rights,or climate change.Is there potential for compromise on any of these issues? Why or why not? Please provide specific information on these issues to support your argument.

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Question 9

Do Americans tend to trust government? What factors can influence the public's trust in government? Why do some scholars argue that low levels of trust in government can be problematic in a democracy? Do you agree or disagree with these scholars? Explain.

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Question 10

What arguments can be made both in support of and in opposition to the proposition that elected officials should decide public policy matters based on public opinion? Which side makes the more persuasive case and why?

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Question 11

The most noticeable media trend in the past two decades has been the sudden expansion of the Internet.How does the information on the Internet differ from that available from traditional print and broadcast sources? What are the benefits and drawbacks to obtaining political information on the Internet?

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Question 12

Most people have political views that are heavily socialized.What does that mean? What factors tend to have the greatest effect on a person's political attitudes and opinions? Explain why the factors you identified are important.

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Question 13

Which of the following terms describes a situation in which people's opinions change as a consequence of the type of considerations mentioned in press stories?

Accepted Answer

The framing effect is a phenomenon where people's opinions or attitudes can be influenced by how information is presented to them or framed. When press stories present information in a particular way, it can lead to changes in people's opinions or attitudes based on that framing. The other options do not specifically refer to this type of influence from press stories.

Question 14

Perhaps the most controversial decision by the Federal Communications Commission in recent years has been to engage in deregulation.What is deregulation and what are the two sides in the debate? Which side do you support and why?

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Question 15

Which of the following terms describes a situation in which news coverage leads people to think differently about a candidate?

Accepted Answer

The priming effect refers to the situation in which news coverage influences the way people think about a candidate by bringing certain issues or attributes to the forefront of their minds. This can impact their overall perception and evaluation of the candidate.

Quiz 5: Public Opinion and the Media