Federal Government (6 Week Course) Review Exam III
I. The media is important to Presidential elections, explain. What are paid media and free media? Explain. How do the media cover campaigns? Discuss campaign strategies fully and completely.
The media plays a major role in presidential elections by shaping how voters perceive candidates and understand key issues. It serves as the main way most people get information about political campaigns, policy proposals, and the personal lives of candidates. Through news coverage, social media, interviews, and debates, the media influences what voters think is important and how they feel about those running for office. Both traditional outlets like TV and newspapers and newer platforms like Twitter or YouTube can have a huge impact on public opinion, especially in how stories are framed or what moments go viral.
Campaigns rely heavily on both paid and free media to reach voters. Paid media includes ads that the campaign creates and buys space for, such as commercials and online promotions, where the message is fully controlled. Free media, on the other hand, refers to news coverage and public attention that campaigns earn without paying for it—this can be positive or negative. Campaigns develop strategies to make the most of both types of media, focusing on creating a compelling message, winning attention in key states, and using tools like data targeting and social media engagement. Debates, press coverage, rallies, and interviews all become opportunities for candidates to present themselves, respond to opponents, and try to shape the national conversation in their favor.
II. Discuss the types of primaries and caucuses in Presidential elections. Explain the organization of a Presidential campaign. How are national party conventions fundamentally different today? Explain.
Presidential candidates compete in either primaries or caucuses, depending on the state. Primaries work like standard elections, where people vote privately for their preferred candidate. They can be open (allowing any registered voter to participate) or closed (limited to voters registered with a specific party). Caucuses are more public and involve in-person gatherings where voters discuss and then physically vote for a candidate, often through standing in groups or raising hands. Each method helps parties select delegates who later vote at the national convention, ultimately determining the nominee.
Behind the scenes, presidential campaigns require intense organization. Candidates build teams that handle fundraising, communications, voter outreach, and media relations. Strategy plays a huge role, with decisions about which states to focus on, how to tailor messages to different audiences, and when to launch ads or events. National party conventions used to be where nominees were chosen, sometimes in dramatic fashion, but today they’re mostly symbolic. The nominee is already known by the time the convention happens, so the event is now used to energize the party, showcase rising political stars, and officially launch the general election campaign with a sense of unity and enthusiasm.
VII. How is public opinion measured? Explain in full. What are the biases in measuring public opinion? Explain. Discuss and explain the types of errors in polling and instances of faulty polling data.
Public opinion is usually measured through polls and surveys, which gather data from a sample of people to estimate what the general population thinks about issues, candidates, or policies. Researchers try to make these samples representative by randomly selecting participants from various backgrounds and using questions designed to get clear, unbiased answers. When done well, polling helps campaigns and media outlets understand voter priorities, track shifts in public mood, and make predictions about upcoming elections.
However, polling isn’t perfect and comes with several potential problems. Biases can occur if the sample isn’t truly representative, like if certain groups are underrepresented or if people aren’t honest in their responses. Poorly worded questions can also lead to confusion or misleading results. Additionally, polls can be affected by the timing—opinions may shift quickly after major events—and small sample sizes may produce inaccurate outcomes. Some elections have exposed these flaws, such as in 2016, when many polls failed to predict the actual results due to underestimating voter turnout or misjudging support for certain candidates. While polls remain a useful tool, they need to be interpreted with caution and paired with other sources of insight.