Unit 4 - American Political Ideologies & Beliefs

Test 10/24 (Thursday) & omitted some terms I am already good w/

Political culture

Political culture

the dominant set of beliefs, customs, traditions, & values that define the relationship between citizens & government

Core American political values 

1. Individualism 

2. Equality of opportunity 

3. Free enterprise 

4. Rule of law 

5. Limited gov

Individualism

belief that individuals should be responsible for themselves & for the actions they make

Free enterprise/laissez-faire

an economic system in which gov. intrudes as little as possible in the economic transaction among citizens & business 

Rule of law

principle that no one (including public officials) is above the law

Political socialization

experiences & factors that shape an individual’s political values, attitudes & behavior 

Political ideology

an individual’s coherent set of beliefs about gov & politics 

Generational effect

the impact of historical events experienced by a generation upon their political views

life cycle effect

the impact of a person’s age & stage on their political views

globalization

the increasing interconnectedness of people, businesses & countries throughout the world

nongovernmental organizations (NGOs)

independent orgs outside of gov that work towards a public cause

Intergovernmental organizations (IGOs)

an entity created by a treaty involving two or more countries (ex world trade organization)

outsourcing

when a company moves its business to a place where labor costs are cheaper or production is more efficient b/c workers work longer hours

public opinion

the sum of individual attitudes about gov policies & issues

focus group

a small group of individuals assembled for a convention about specific issues

scientific poll

a representative poll randomly selected respondents w/ a statistically significant sample size using neutral language

weighting

a producer in which the survey is adjusted according to the demographics of the population

sampling error

the margin of error in a poll which is usually calculated to plus or minus three percent

mass survey

a survey designed to measure the opinions of the population usually consisting of 1,500 responses

entrance survey

a poll conducted of people coming to an event

exit poll

a survey conducted outside a polling place in which individuals are asked who or what they just voted for & why 

benchmark poll

 a survey taken at the beginning of a political campaign in order to gauge support for a candidate & determine which issues are important to voters

Tracking poll

a survey determining the level of support for a candidate or an issue throughout a campaign 

random digit dialing

the use of telephone numbers randomly generated by a computer to select potential survey respondents

Question order

the sequencing of questions in public opinion polls 

question wording

the phrasing of a question in a public opinion poll

push polls

negative campaign tactic to push damaging portrayals of opposing candidates (w/ sometimes false or exaggerated info)

what is the most effective predictor of public opinion?

individual’s identification w/ a political party

how do elected officials use polls?

to shape how they present their policy decisions to the public

Political efficacy

belief that one’s political participation matters

Political ideology

set of beliefs about what should happen as a result of process of governance

right

something guaranteed that the gov cannot take away

privilege

something a person may obtain or receive but the gov can take away

command-and-control economy

economic policy in which gov dictates much of a nation’s economic activity, including the amount of production & price of goods

mixed economy

economic policy in which many economic decisions are left to individuals & businesses w/ the gov regulating economic activity

Gross domestic product (GDP)

the total value of goods & services produced by an economy

economic recession

a period of decline in economic activity, typically defined by two consecutive quarters of negative GDP growth

consumer price index (CPI)

the cost of a fixed basket of goods & services over time used to measure the cost of living

fiscal policy

gov use of taxes & spending to attempt to lower unemployment support economic growth & stabilize the economy

federal reserve system

a board of governors, Federal Reserve banks & member banks responsible for monetary policy

monetary policy

a set of economic policy tools designed to regulate the amount of $ in the economy

Conservatism

an ideology, favoring more control of social behavior, fewer regulations on business & less gov interference in the economy

liberalism

an ideology favoring less government control over social behavior and more greater regulation of business and of the economy

Libertarianism

an ideology favoring very little government, regulation & intervention beyond protecting private property & individual liberty

Keynesian economics

gov economic policy should counterbalance a contraction by injecting more $$ into the economy

supply-side economics

emphasizes the demand of goods & services + the role of supply in fostering economic growth. Proposes lower taxes on individuals & businesses as the most effective tool to combat economic downturns

trickle-down economics

policies benefit the wealthy & it is unlikely these benefits will make their way to individuals not directly impacted by lower tax rates