AP U.S. Government and Politics Flashcards: The Media
Written by AP Content Team, Verified for 2026 AP Exams, Last updated: May 2026
Review key ideas with interactive flashcards. This set includes 10 cards to help you master important concepts.
What is the primary consequence of the media framing elections as "horse races"?
The main consequence is that elections become based more on popularity and other factors, rather than on the candidates' qualifications and platforms.
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What is the primary consequence of the media framing elections as "horse races"?
The main consequence is that elections become based more on popularity and other factors, rather than on the candidates' qualifications and platforms.
What is agenda setting?
Agenda setting is the media's ability to influence the importance placed on topics of the public agenda by controlling the political information citizens acquire.
Explain the media’s role as a linkage institution.
The media connects citizens to the government by influencing how they acquire political information, including news events, election coverage, and political commentary.
How does the media’s use of polling results affect elections?
It can turn elections into “horse races” by emphasizing popularity and public trust levels over the candidates' actual qualifications and platforms.
What types of media content contribute to agenda setting?
Agenda setting is influenced by traditional news, new communication technologies, and social media through content like news events, investigative journalism, and political commentary.
A social media platform's algorithm promotes extensive content about a specific political issue, causing public concern to rise. What media role is being demonstrated?
This demonstrates agenda setting, as the social media platform is influencing how citizens acquire information and which issues they view as important.
How do advances in social media impact the way citizens acquire political information?
Social media and new communication technologies influence how citizens routinely get political information, playing a key role in agenda setting.
What is investigative journalism?
Investigative journalism is a form of media content where reporters deeply investigate a single topic of interest, which can influence the public agenda.
What is "horse race" journalism?
This is a form of election coverage that focuses on polling results and popularity rather than the qualifications and policy platforms of the candidates.
If a news channel consistently leads its broadcasts with stories about a candidate's polling numbers, what media effect is this an example of?
This is an example of turning an election into a "horse race," which prioritizes popularity over substantive issues like candidate platforms.