| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Civil Rights Act of 1964 | act that prohibited the use of any registration requirement that resulted in discrimination and paved the way for the involvement of the federal government to enforce the law |
| fairness doctrine | scrapped in 1987, it provided that the media air opposing opinions of the same issue |
| information superhighway | a linked conglomerate of computer-generated information also known as the Internet |
| literacy laws | declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court, they were passed by southern states after the Civil War aimed at making reading a requirement for voting so that freed slaves could not vote |
| mass media | consisting of television, radio, newspapers, and magazines, they reach a large segment of the population. It is also considered one of the linkage institutions |
| media bias | a term used to describe the real and perceived bias of journalists and news producers within the mass media, in the selection of which events will be reported and how they are covered. |
| Motor Voter Act of 1993 | signed into law by President Clinton, it enables people to register to vote at motor vehicle departments |
| party identification | the manner in which a person acts when belonging to a political party |
| photo ops | photo opportunities |
| political socialization | the factors that determine voting behavior such as family, religion, and ethnic background |
| poll tax | made illegal by the Twenty-Fourth Amendment to the Constitution, it was a tax instituted by mainly southern states as a condition to vote and had the effect of preventing African-Americans from voting |
| public opinion polls | scientific surveys aimed at gauging public preference of candidates and issues |
| sampling error | refers to a statistical error, usually within three percentage points, inherent in the polling process |
| Simpson-Marzzoli Act (1987) | act that resulted in more than 2 million illegal aliens who were living in this country since 1982 being allowed to apply for legal status |
| Solid South | dominance by the Democratic Party in the South following the Civil War. The Republicans made strong inroads when Ronald Reagan was elected President in 1980 and after the Republicans gained control of the Congress in 1994. |
| sound bites | 30- or 60- second statements by politicians aired on the evening news shows or Sunday morning talk shows |
| suffrage | the right to vote guaranteed to African-Americans in the Fourteenth Amendment and women in the Nineteenth Amendment |
| talking heads | politicians who use sound bites or other means to present a superficial look at a policy position rather than an in-depth approach to explaining their views |
| Voting Rights Act of 1965 | act that finally made the Fifteenth Amendment a reality. As a result of this act, any state not eliminating the poll tax and literacy requirements would be directed to do so by the federal government. It also resulted in the establishment of racially gerrymandered congressional districts in the 1980s and 1990s |
Combine with other sets
Share on Facebook
Share on MySpace
!