AP Gov Midterm

What is political culture?

The set of attitudes, beliefs, and sentiments that shape the political behavior of a group.

What does individualism refer to in political context?

The belief that individuals should be independent and self-reliant.

What is laissez-faire/free enterprise?

An economic system with minimal government intervention, allowing for free market competition.

What does the rule of law mean?

The principle that all individuals and institutions are accountable to the law.

What is political socialization?

The process by which individuals acquire their political beliefs and values.

What is political ideology?

A set of beliefs about politics and society that guides individuals' behavior.

What is the generational effect?

Changes in political attitudes and behavior that result from the experiences of a particular generation.

What does globalization refer to in political terms?

The process of increased interconnectedness and interdependence among countries.

What is outsourcing?

The practice of obtaining goods or services from an outside supplier.

What is public opinion?

The collective preferences and attitudes of citizens concerning political issues.

What is a focus group?

A small group of people whose responses are studied to gauge the response of a larger population.

What are scientific polls?

Polls conducted using scientific methods to ensure accurate and reliable results.

What is a sample in polling?

A subset of individuals selected from a larger population for the purpose of making inferences about the whole population.

What does random selection mean in polling?

A method of selecting individuals from a larger population in such a way that every individual has an equal chance of being chosen.

What is a representative sample?

A sample that accurately reflects the characteristics of the larger population.

What is weighting in polling?

Adjusting the results of a survey to account for demographic differences between the survey sample and the target population.

What is sampling error?

The error associated with the fact that a sample is not a perfect representation of the population.

What is a mass survey?

A survey conducted with a large number of respondents to gather data on public opinion.

What is an entrance survey?

A survey conducted with individuals as they enter an event or location.

What is an exit poll?

A survey conducted with individuals as they leave an event, often used during elections.

What is a benchmark poll?

A poll that provides a baseline against which subsequent polling can be compared.

What are tracking polls?

Polls that measure changes in public opinion over time.

What is random digit dialing?

A method of selecting participants for a survey by randomly generating phone numbers.

What is question order in polling?

The sequence in which questions are presented in a survey, which can influence responses.

What is question wording and why is it important?

The phrasing of survey questions, which can affect how respondents interpret and answer them.

What is the difference between a right and a privilege?

A right is an inherent entitlement, while a privilege is granted and can be revoked.

What is party ideology?

The set of beliefs and values that the members of a political party generally share.

What is party identification?

An individual’s affiliation with a political party.

What does conservatism typically advocate for?

Limited government, traditional values, and free market principles.

What is liberalism?

A political ideology that emphasizes individual rights, social justice, and government action to address economic inequality.

What does libertarianism advocate?

A political philosophy that emphasizes individual liberty and minimal government intervention.

What is a laissez-faire economy?

An economic system where transactions between private parties are free from government intervention.

What is a command-and-control economy?

An economic system where the government exerts control over production and prices.

What is a mixed economy?

An economic system combining elements of both capitalism and socialism.

What does Gross Domestic Product (GDP) measure?

The total value of all goods and services produced in a country in a given year.

What does an economic recession refer to?

A significant decline in economic activity across the economy lasting longer than a few months.

What is the unemployment rate?

The percentage of the labor force that is unemployed and actively seeking employment.

What is inflation?

The rate at which the general level of prices for goods and services rises.

What is Keynesian economics?

An economic theory advocating for government intervention to stabilize economic fluctuations.

What is supply-side economics?

An economic theory that posits that economic growth can be most effectively fostered by lowering taxes and decreasing regulation.

What does the Consumer Price Index (CPI) measure?

The average change over time in the prices paid by urban consumers for a market basket of consumer goods and services.

What is fiscal policy?

The use of government spending and taxation to influence the economy.

What is the Federal Reserve System?

The central banking system of the United States, responsible for implementing monetary policy.

What is monetary policy?

The process by which the central bank controls the money supply and interest rates.

What is Medicare?

A federal health insurance program for people aged 65 and older and some younger people with disabilities.

What is Medicaid?

A joint federal and state program that helps with medical costs for some people with limited income.

What does political participation encompass?

The different ways in which citizens engage in politics, including voting, campaigning, and activism.

What are political action committees (PACs)?

Organizations that raise money to support candidates or political parties.

What is a linkage institution?

A structure that connects the people to the government.

What is a social movement?

A collective effort by a large group of people to bring about social or political change.

What does suffrage/franchise mean?

The right to vote in political elections.

What does the Twenty-Sixth Amendment establish?

It grants the right to vote to citizens who are 18 years of age or older.

What does the Twenty-Fourth Amendment prohibit?

It prohibits the use of poll taxes in federal elections.

What is voter turnout?

The percentage of eligible voters who cast a ballot in an election.

What are demographic characteristics?

Characteristics of a population, including age, race, gender, and socioeconomic status.

What is socioeconomic status?

A social standing or class of an individual or group, often measured as a combination of education, income, and occupation.

What is political efficacy?

The belief that one's actions can influence political processes.

What is political mobilization?

The process by which a group of people is encouraged to take action on political issues.

What are registration requirements?

The conditions needed to register to vote.

What are absentee ballots?

Ballots submitted for an election by voters unable to vote in person on election day.

What is rational choice voting?

Voting behavior based on the objective of maximizing the individual voter’s utility.

What is retrospective voting?

Voting based on the past performance of a candidate or party.

What is prospective voting?

Voting based on the expected future performance of a candidate or party.

What is party-line voting?

When voters choose candidates from the same political party for multiple offices.

What is the Electoral College?

A body of electors established by the Constitution to elect the President and Vice President of the United States.

What does the winner-take-all system mean?

An electoral system in which the candidate who receives the most votes wins all electoral votes from that state.

What are battleground states?

States where both major political parties have similar levels of support among voters.

What are swing states?

States in which both parties have similar levels of support among voters and can be won by either party in an election.

What does 'get out the vote' (GOTV) mean?

Efforts to encourage people to participate in an election.

What are Super PACs?

Independent spending-only committees that can raise unlimited funds to advocate for or against political candidates.

What is straight-ticket voting?

The practice of voting for all candidates of one party in an election.

What is split-ticket voting?

The practice of voting for candidates of different parties in the same election.

What is a party platform?

A formal set of principal goals supported by a political party.

What is recruitment in a political party context?

The process of finding and selecting candidates for elections.

What is party coalition?

An alliance among political parties to achieve common goals.

What is realignment in political terms?

A significant and lasting shift in the coalition supporting one or both major political parties.

What are critical elections?

Elections that produce a sharp change in the pattern of party loyalty among voters.

What are party eras?

Distinct periods in which one party dominates political activity.

What does the era of divided government refer to?

A situation in which one party controls the presidency and another party controls one or both houses of Congress.

What is nomination in a political context?

The official endorsement of a candidate by a political party.

Who are delegates in the context of primary elections?

Individuals chosen to represent their state at a party's national convention.

What are primary elections?

Elections held to determine a party's candidate for office.

What are open primaries?

Primaries in which any registered voter may participate in any party's primary.

What are closed primaries?

Primaries in which only registered party members can vote.

What are caucuses?

A meeting of party members to select candidates or decide party policy.

What are superdelegates?

Party leaders and elected officials who become delegates to the national convention without being pledged to any candidate.

What does front-loading refer to in elections?

The practice of scheduling primaries early in the election cycle.

What is a national convention?

A gathering of a political party to nominate candidates and adopt a party platform.

What does candidate-centered campaign mean?

A campaign that focuses on the individual candidate rather than the party.

What is a two-party system?

A political system dominated by two major parties.

What is a proportional representation system?

An electoral system in which parties gain seats in proportion to the number of votes they receive.

What is a single-member plurality system?

An electoral system in which the candidate with the most votes in a district wins.

What are third parties?

Political parties that are not one of the two major parties.

What is the theory of participatory democracy?

The belief that citizens should be actively involved in political decision-making.

What is civil society?

The aggregate of non-governmental organizations and institutions that manifest interests and will of citizens.

What is pluralist theory?

The view that politics is a competition among diverse interest groups.

What is elitist theory?

The view that a small number of elites hold most of the power in political systems.

What is a policy agenda?

The set of issues that are perceived as important by policymakers.

What is collective action?

Action taken together by a group of people to achieve a common goal.

What is the collective good?

A benefit that is shared by the whole group.