AI Summary
[DOCUMENT_TYPE: study_guide]
**What This Document Is**
This document is a study guide for Exam 3 in POLS 1101: American Government at Georgia State University, created by Dr. Michael Evans for the Fall 2018 online course. It’s designed to help students prepare for an exam focused on public opinion and its role in American politics.
**Why This Document Matters**
This study guide is essential for students enrolled in the course who are preparing for a significant assessment of their understanding of public opinion. It’s used as a review tool to focus study efforts on key concepts and terminology that will be covered on the exam. Understanding public opinion is fundamental to grasping how the American political system functions and responds to its citizens.
**Common Limitations or Challenges**
This study guide provides a framework for understanding the material, but it does not replace the need to attend lectures, complete readings, or engage with course materials. It offers questions to consider and terms to define, but doesn’t provide exhaustive explanations or answers. It is a preparation tool, not a substitute for learning.
**What This Document Provides**
The study guide includes review questions and key terms related to:
* The definition and importance of public opinion in a democracy.
* The Founding Fathers’ views on public opinion.
* The distinctions between values, beliefs, and attitudes.
* The process of political socialization and its influencing factors (family, school, etc.).
* How socioeconomic factors (class, religion, age, race, gender) shape political opinions.
* The concepts of political efficacy and political intolerance.
* The differences between scientific and unscientific polling methods, including definitions of nonresponse bias, random sample, double-barreled questions, and priming.
* An introduction to four models of American politics and their relationship to public opinion.
This preview does *not* include answers to the review questions, detailed explanations of the concepts, or the full content of the four political science models.