Political Science 475, Fall 2008
Review Questions for Final Exam
Dr. Mark Peffley
Final is 50% of final grade,
Midterm is 40% and Participation is 10%.
First question: would you rather
prepare for 20 review questions or an infinite number of possible exam
questions (i.e., no review questions)?
Ground Rules: The exam will consist of approximately 30
multiple choice questions and 1 to 2 short essay questions. The review
questions below are designed to focus your preparation on theories and concepts
from which the exam questions will be selected and formulated. If you are
prepared to answer these questions, you should do well on the exam. During the
exam, you may not rely on notes. Bring both a # 2 pencil for the multiple
choice questions and a ball-point pen and a blue book for the essay questions.
Better essays will be organized and efficiently written.
The exam will cover class
discussions (see Lecture Outlines posted on the syllabus); chapters 5-10 in
Iyengar and McGrady’s Media Politics; chapters 5-14 in Jamieson and Cappella’s Echo Chamber; and chapters 1, 2, & 7
in Zaller’s A Theory of Media Politics.
Changes in review questions
are in red.
Review Questions from class discussions:
1. Define different types of media effects, being sure to
distinguish between them and provide examples of each. Also,
see Iyengar and McGrady for empirical studies of (and
evidence for) these effects.
2. To what extent are citizens mindless “victims” of the
media’s “primordial power” to influence citizens through such mechanisms as
priming and framing?
3. Outline a theory of
strong media effects, using examples and pointing out some of its limitations.
4. What is propaganda and what are some of the basic
elements of making propaganda effective. How is its effectiveness limited in
the U.S.?
5. Outline the “minimal effects” view of media influence
and the research it was based on, and provide a critical evaluation of this
perspective.
6. Briefly evaluate the major strengths and weaknesses of
surveys and experimental methods of studying media effects. Which method of
studying media effects is best, in your view?
7. Drawing from class discussions, describe two studies (one by Gilliam and Iyengar, and another by Gilens) that
use various methods to show how the news affects group stereotypes.
8. Thomas Patterson (not Larry Sabato)
and John Zaller offer two very different explanations of patterns in news
coverage. First outline three patterns of news coverage that Patterson
identifies and Patterson’s explanation for them. Then use Zaller’s theory to
explain those same patterns. Which explanation (Patterson’s or Zaller’s) do you
think has more validity in your view? Why?
9. Briefly outline Zaller’s theory of news coverage of
elections, describing the actors’ goals, the three decision rules, and some of
the major propositions derived. Then evaluate Zaller’s evidence for the Rule of
Product Substitution and how this plays out in news coverage of elections. Why
has news coverage of elections gotten more negative in recent years, according
to Zaller and to what degree is the news media responsible?
10. Contrast the “form” of Zaller’s theory to that of
Patterson’s. Also, how does Zaller’s
coding of negative press coverage differ from Patterson’s? Which is more valid in your view?
11. Describe the evolution of “feeding frenzies,”
according to Larry Sabato, as well as some of their
causes and consequences.
12. What is Lance Bennett’s theory of Indexing and how did
it fare in Jonathon Mermin’s study of news coverage
of post-Vietnam war military interventions? Generally speaking, how would you
characterize the media’s role in covering war and military interventions.
Explain.
13. Describe some
of the major elements of censorship in the first Gulf war and the primary objective
of the censorship rules, as you see them.
14. Provide a few examples of self-censorship among the
media in its coverage of war, as well as war propaganda that we discussed in class.
Why is the news media so constrained in its ability to present the other side,
when it comes to military conflict?
15. Criticism of media coverage during the Vietnam War has
been used to justify strict censorship of the press when the U.S. engages in military
actions (e.g., the Iraq and Gulf wars). Drawing on our class discussion, to what
extent was an independent and oppositional media responsible for “losing the
war in Vietnam”? Explain. and to what extent did the role of the media in
that war justify strict censorship in times of war or in military conflicts
Review Questions for Echo Chamber
1. Based on your reading of “Effects of an Echo Chamber,”
and class discussions, what are some of the special theoretical and
methodological problems that J&C face in studying media effects of exposure
to the CME, and what general strategies do J&C propose for dealing with
these problems?
2. In “Vetting Candidates for Office,” what (three)
important functions do J&C argue the CME performs and what evidence do they
provide for these media effects?
3. In Ch. 8, J&C argue that Limbaugh’s constant
attacks on Democrats create negative emotions in his audience, namely anger and
moral outrage. To what extent is this
emotional reaction a rational or an irrational force among Limbaugh listeners
and what is the authors’ evidence for their assessment?
4. J&C argue that by framing and reframing media
messages for their audience, as well as through priming of common terms and
phrases, the CME insulates their audience from outside media influence. How is this done exactly (give a few
examples) and what evidence, if any, do J&C present on whether these
strategies are effective? Also, evaluate
the evidence that listening to CME (e.g., Limbaugh) influences trust of
mainstream media and exposure to it (see, e.g., Ch 10).
1. One effect of CME that J&C examine is the
“balkanization of knowledge and interpretations.” What does this mean, exactly, and what is the
evidence for it, according to the authors (give 3 examples)? Who among Limbaugh’s listeners are most and
least susceptible to this effect?
2. Another effect of CME that J&C examine is
“distortion and polarization.” What is this effect and how does it work—through
what two mechanisms? What is the
evidence presented by J&C on this effect? How could the authors’ analysis
here be improved?
Based in part
on your reading of Echo Chamber, what are the major benefits and the costs of
an echo chamber? Overall, is it good or
bad for democracy?
Review Questions for Iyengar & McGrady,
chs. 5-10.
1. Based on their review of studies of how people use the
Internet to follow politics, what conclusions do Iyengar and McGrady reach, and what was the main lesson of the 2004
presidential election concerning the use of the Internet for political
campaigning?
2. What are the strategies and consequences of “riding
the wave,” “issue ownership,” “wedge appeals,” negative ads, and direct
mail?
3. What are the main elements and consequences of the
McCain-Feingold legislation?
4. What is the strategy of Going Public and how has it
changed over time?
5. What are priming effects and how are they likely to
have been important during election campaigns?
6. What do Iyengar and McGrady
find in their review of partisan differences in the acceptance of Iraq War
messages, in the Appendix to Chapter 8?
7. Describe the impact of the following in election
campaigns: the reinforcement effect, swing voters, and momentum.
8. Outline theories of presidential popularity and assess
the impact of history and news management on presidential popularity.