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The means employed in mass communications, often divided into print media and broadcast media |
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leaders who follow news in specific policy areas |
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Two step flow of communication |
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the process in which a few policy elites gather information and then inform their more numerous followers, mobilizing them to apply pressure to the government |
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a form of newsletter, journal or "log" of thoughts for public reading, usually devoted to social or political issues and often updated daily. The term derives from weblog |
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the degree to which a news story is important t0 be covered in the mass media |
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both reporting news and running commercials geared toward a target audience defined by demographic characteristics |
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A mix of information and diversion oriented to personalities or celebrities, not linked to the days events and usually unrelated to public affairs or policy; often called "soft news" |
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Federal Communications Commission |
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An independent federal agency that regulates interstate and international communication by radio, television, telephone, telegraph, cable and satellite |
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Media executives, news editors, and prominent reporters who direct the flow of news |
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Election coverage by the mass media that focuses on which candidate is ahead rather than on national issues |
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a situation that is so "newsworthy" that the mass media are compelled to cover it. Candidates in elections often create such situations to garner media attention. |
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the belief that television is to blame for the low level of citizens' knowledge about public affairs |
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A list of issues that need government attention |
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A strategy whereby a president seeks to influence policy elites and media coverage by appealing directly to the American people |
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Journalism that scrutinizes public and business institutions and publicizes perceived misconduct |
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Actions of private citizens by which they seek to influence or support government and politics |
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Conventional Participation |
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Relatively routine political behavior that uses institutional channels and is acceptable to the dominant culture |
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unconventional participation |
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Relatively uncommon political behavior that challenges or defies established institutions and dominant norms |
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Premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against noncombatant targets by sub-national groups or clandestine agents |
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unconventional participation that involves assembling crowds to confront businesses and local governments to demand a hearing |
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Action that expresses allegiance to government and country |
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behavior that seeks to modify or reverse government policy to serve political interests |
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a legal action brought by a person or group on behalf of a number of people in similar circumstances |
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The percentage of eligible citizens who actually vote in a given election |
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the right to vote. Also called the franchise |
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The right to vote also called Suffrage |
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a philosophy of political reform based on the goodness and wisdom of the individual citizen as opposed to special interests and political institutions |
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a preliminary election, run by the state government, in which the voters choose each party's candidates for the general election |
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The process for removing an elected official from office |
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an election on a policy issue |
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a procedure by which voters can propose an issue to be decided by the legislature or by the people in a referendum. It requires gathering a specified number of signatures and submitting a petition to a designated agency |
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Standard Socioeconomic model |
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A relationship between socioeconomic status and conventional political involvement: people with higher status and more education are more likely to participate than those with lower status |
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