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Unit 4 AP Government American Political Ideologies and Beliefs Terms

Terms in this set (37)

demography
science of population change- demographics affect political ideology and voter turnout. For example African Americans tend to vote Democrat, whites have higher turnout than African Americans
political culture
overall set of values widely shared in a community
political socialization
process by which individuals in society acquire their political attitudes, beliefs, views, etc. Family is the greatest agent others include: media, school, religion, etc
random sampling
everyone has equal chance of being selected to participate in the poll- helps to ensure poll is representative of the population
sampling error/ margin of error
level of confidence in the findings of a public opinion poll. +/- 3 points in a good margin of error
Conservative ideology
One who favors more limited and local government, less government regulation of markets, and more social conformity to traditional norms and values ; support lassiez-faire or supply side economics (traditionally Republican party)
Exit poll
public opinion surveys done right after a person votes- used by major media pollsters to predict electoral winners with speed and precision
Liberal ideology
One who favors more government regulation of business and support for social welfare but less regulation of private social conduct; support Keynesian economics
Libertarian ideology
LIttle to no government intervention in people's lives
Often conservative on economic issues (no govt involvement), liberal on personal conduct issues (gov't shouldn't tell us how to behave)
Political efficacy
the belief that one's political participation really matters- one's vote can make a difference
Political ideology
coherent set of beliefs about politics, public policy, and public purpose, which helps give meaning to political events
Public opinion
distribution of the population's beliefs about politics and policy issues
Public opinion polls
way to measure public opinion- used to craft messages in elections, predict elections, let policymakers keep in touch with what people want
Random digit dialing
technique used by pollsters to place telephone calls randomly to both listed and unlisted numbers when conducting a survey
Sample
a relatively small proportion of people who are chosen in a survey so as to be representative of the whole
Tracking polls/ benchmark polls
Continuous surveys that enable a campaign or news organization to chart a candidate's daily rise or fall in support
Individualism
a social theory favoring freedom of action for individuals over collective or state control.

key belief in American political culture
equality of opportunity
a widely shared American ideal that all people should have the freedom to use whatever talents and wealth they have to reach their fullest potential
free enterprise
Economic system in which individuals and businesses are allowed to compete for profit with a minimum of government interference

key belief in american political culture
Rule of Law
principle that the law applies to everyone, even those who govern

key belief in american political culture
Globalization
the process by which businesses or other organizations develop international influence or start operating on an international scale.
scientific polling
method of polling that provides a fairly precise reading of public opinion by using random sampling

opposite of straw polls
push polls
polls that are designed to manipulate the opinions of those being polled
representative sample
a sample that accurately reflects the characteristics of the population as a whole
focus group
A small group of individuals who are led in discussion by a professional consultant in order to gather opinions on and responses to candidates and issues.
Political Spectrum
a system of classifying different political positions upon one or more geometric axes that symbolize independent political dimensions.
moderate
Person whose views are between conservative and liberal and may include some of both ideologies
Democratic Party
Modern party in US 2 party system; liberal ideology- typical supporters include minorities, women, more educated(graduate school), urban areas
Republican Party
Modern party in US 2 party stem; conservative ideology- typical supporters include white men, rural areas, Christians, high school educated

nickname: GOP
Keynesian economics
Theory based on the principles of John Maynard Keynes, stating that government spending should increase during business slumps and be curbed during booms.

Supported by Liberals more
supply-side economics
An economic philosophy that holds the sharply cutting taxes will increase the incentive people have to work, save, and invest. Greater investments will lead to more jobs, a more productive economy, and more tax revenues for the government.

Supported by conservatives
monetary policy
Government policy that attempts to manage the economy by controlling the money supply and thus interest rates.

done by Federal Reserve
fiscal policy
Government policy that attempts to manage the economy by controlling taxing and spending.

Congress and President control during budget process
Federal Reserve Act
This act established the Federal System, which established 12 distinct reserve to be controlled by the banks in each district; in addition, a Federal Reserve board was established to regulate the entire structure; improved public confidence in the banking system.
political gridlock
the stalemate that occurs when political rivals, especially parties, refuse to budge from their positions to achieve a compromise in the public interest
single-issue voters
People who base their votes on candidates' or parties' positions on one particular issue of public policy, regardless of the candidates' or parties' positions on other issues.
gender gap
a distinctive pattern of voting behavior reflecting the differences in views between women and men
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