Deck 7: Mediated Politics

Question 1

Which of the following is not an actor in political communication?

A) Citizens
B) Politicians
C) The media
D) All of the above are actors in political communication

Answer 1

All of the above are actors in political communication

Question 2

If two politicians interrupt each other and roll their eyes throughout their debate, the viewers will be less likely to remember the issues of the debate.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Which of the following is a potential cause of political polarization?

A) Politicians' increasingly diverging policy positions carry over into the electorate.
B) Increasing choices of media outlets with more extreme political messages.
C) Confirmation bias
D) All of the above

Answer 3

All of the above

Question 4

Alex has unfollowed his extended family on Facebook because they are in a different political party from him and disagree with him on many political issues. Seeing his extended family's opinions online makes Alex feel uncomfortable.
What term best describes Alex's social media use?

A) Selective exposure
B) Confirmation bias
C) Theory of cognitive dissonance
D) None of the above

Question 5

The term selective exposure denotes that individuals…

A) choose from messages and favor some over others.
B) avoid messages that represent their identity
C) forget inconvenient truths.
D) view editorial programming while avoiding ads and commercials.

Question 6

Research suggests that people who are ______ _______ in political discourse and motivated to seek information are also more likely to have polarized political attitudes.

A) Less skeptical
B) More skeptical
C) More engaged
D) Less engaged

Question 7

refers to the extent to which politics are influenced by the media

A) Media politics
B) Politicization of media
C) Mediatization of politics
D) None of the above

Question 8

Which of the following is a key difference between the "public sphere model" and "market model" of political communication and the media?

A) In the "market model" the needs of the media shape politics
B) In the "market model", what is deemed as important for the people to know is determined by political actors and institutions rather than the media
C) In the "political sphere model", media has an obligation to aid democracy
D) In the "market model", media's only obligation is towards what the audience needs and wants

Question 9

Per the definition of political communication, shape political communication (according to class readings and content presented in class) .

A) Political actors and institutions
B) Mass media
C) Citizens
D) All of the above

Question 10

As part of a political discussion, saying "What you think makes no sense, and you don't know what you are talking about" is an act of incivility (according to class readings and content presented in class) .

Question 11

Confirmation bias, as discussed in class, means or implies…

A) Friends who prefer the same party tend to confirm each other in political terms.
B) Citizens selectively attend to those messages that align with their pre-existing views
C) When uncertain how to evaluate a political issue, citizens tend to align with peers.
D) Citizens express their political views more when with like-minded people.

Question 12

Greater cognitive engagement/capacity is thought to the confirmation bias (according to class readings and content presented in class) .

A) Blur
B) Revoke
C) Decrease
D) Increase

Question 13

Which theory/approach explains the confirmation bias (according to class readings and content presented in class) ?

A) Uses-and-Gratifications
B) Theory of Cognitive Dissonance
C) Agenda-Setting
D) Self-Socialization

Question 14

Mediatization means that the political system…

A) Influences the media system
B) Operates differently because of the media system
C) Is totally separate from the media system
D) None of the above

Question 15

Jesse strongly believes that nuclear plants present a major threat to communities where the plants are located. While searching for information on nuclear energy online, Jesse picks out those messages that illustrate cases where a nuclear plant has harmed a community while neglecting those messages that portray nuclear plants as safe.
Jesse's behavior reflects

A) Information needs
B) Self-socialization
C) Confirmation bias
D) Self-enhancement

Question 16

On May 1, 2003, the American public could watch a TV broadcast showing the American president landing on an aircraft carrier, wearing a flight suit. Hours later, under a banner reading 'Mission Accomplished', the president announced the end of major combat operations in Iraq in a televised speech given on the aircraft carrier.
Which concept or phenomenon does this instance illustrate best?

A) Shareworthiness
B) Gatewatching
C) Self-consistency
D) Mediatization

Question 17

Which of the following is NOT an assumption of the public sphere model?

A) Needs of the political system and political institutions shape how political communication is played out, covered, and understood
B) What is important for people to know, as interpreted mainly by political actors and institutions, takes precedence
C) Media requirements shape how politics are covered by media and understood by the people
D) Media companies are perceived as political or democratic institutions, with some kind of moral, if not legal, obligation to assist in making democracy work

Question 18

Increasingly diverging political preferences among citizens is the phenomenon of .

A) Confirmation bias
B) Polarization
C) Self-fulfilling prophecy
D) Media logic