Unit IV - Political Ideology and Belief

liberalism

An ideology that advocates change in the social, political, and economic realms to better protect the well-being of individuals and to produce equality within society.

-more government in economic issues

-less government in social issues

conservatism

An ideology that emphasizes preserving tradition and relying on community and family as mechanisms of continuity in society.

-less government in economic issues

-more government in social issues

libertarianism

An ideology whose advocates believe that government should take a "hands off" approach in most matters.

-less government in economic issues

-less government in social issues

socialism

An ideology that advocates economic equality, theoretically achieved by having the government or workers own the means of production (businesses and industry).

agents of socialization

The individuals, organizations, and institutions that facilitate the acquisition of political views.

Socialized to believe what they believe in, it is a long process.

-Emotional

exit polls

Polls conducted at polling places on Election Day to determine the winner of an election before the polls close.

gender gap

The measurable difference in the way women and men vote for candidates and in the way they view political issues.

generational effect

The impact of an important external event in shaping the views of a generation.

political socialization

The process by which we develop our political values and opinions.

The people's collective beliefs and attitudes about government and political processes.

-Rational

population

In a poll, the group of people whose opinions are of interest and/or about whom information is desired.

public opinion poll

A survey of a given population's opinion on an issue or a candidate at a particular point in time.

push polls

A special type of poll that both provides information to campaigns about candidate strengths and weaknesses and attempts to skew public opinion about a candidate.

random sampling

A scientific method of selection for a poll in which each member of the population has an equal chance at being included in the sample.

sampling error (margin of error)

a statistical calculation of the difference in results between a poll of a randomly drawn sample and a poll of the entire population.

straw poll

A poll conducted in an unscientific manner, used to predict election outcomes.

tracking polls

Polls that measure changes in public opinion over the course of days, weeks, or months by repeatedly asking respondents the same questions and measuring changes in their responses.

Individualism

giving priority to one's own goals over group goals and defining one's identity in terms of personal attributes rather than group identifications

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

a type of economy in which people are free to buy, sell, and produce whatever they want

Rule of Law

principle that the law applies to everyone, even those who govern

Limited Government

A principle of constitutional government; a government whose powers are defined and limited by a constitution.

Globalization

Actions or processes that involve the entire world and result in making something worldwide in scope.

political culture

an overall set of values widely shared within a society

Millenials (Generation Y)

the 83 million children of the baby boomers born between 1977 and 2000

Generation X (Gen X)

generational cohort of people born between 1965 and 1976

Baby Boomers

The 78 million people born during the baby boom, following World War II and lasting until the early 1960s

Silent Generation

youth of the 50's that seemed to conform to middle class culture without question.

Generational Effect

a long-lasting effect of the events of a particular time on the political opinions of those who came of political age at that time

lifecycle effects

changes over the course of an individual's lifetime, which affect their political attitudes and participation; as individuals develop from young people to adults to senior citizens, their concerns and values change

Totalitarian/Authoritarian

an ideology preferring to have government control over the social/political and economic life

public policy

A choice that government makes in response to a political issue. A policy is a course of action taken with regard to some problem.

benchmark poll

initial poll on a candidate and issues on which campaign strategy is based and against which later polls are compared

entrance polls

Public opinion surveys taken before voters cast their ballots

focus groups

Small groups who are asked questions about candidates and issues

random digit dialing

A technique used by pollsters to place telephone calls randomly to both listed and unlisted numbers when conducting a survey.

Reliability

Ability of a test to yield very similar scores for the same individual over repeated testings

bandwagon effect

a shift in electoral support to the candidate whom public opinion polls report as the front-runner

Keynesian economics

Theory stating that government spending should increase during business slumps and be curbed during booms.

supply-side economics

An economic theory, first applied during the Reagan administration, holding that the key task for fiscal policy is to stimulate the supply of goods, as by cutting tax rates.

Capitalism

An economic system based on private ownership of capital

fiscal policy

Government policy that attempts to manage the economy by controlling taxing and spending.

monetary policy

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

Federal Reserve System

the central bank of the United States

Inflation

A general and progressive increase in prices

school vouchers

payments from the government to parents whose children attend failing public schools; the money helps parents pay private school tuition

Medicare

A federal program of health insurance for persons 65 years of age and older

Medicaid

A federal and state assistance program that pays for health care services for people who cannot afford them.

Social Security

federal program of disability and retirement benefits that covers most working people

welfare

government aid to the poor

Labor Unions

groups of workers who want to obtain better working conditions, strikes may be held in order to obtain such conditions.

privatize

to change from government or public ownership to private ownership

safety net programs

A variety of government programs that benefit individuals and families with low incomes. These include food stamps, education assistance (grants and loans), housing vouchers, tax credits, job training, child care and more.