AP Gov Chapter 4, 5, 8

Ideology

A coherent set of beliefs about what a government should do on economic and social issues

American Draem

Belief that anyone can succeed through hard work. Conservatives stress personal effort; liberals stress unequal starting points.

Popular Sovereignty

The people are the source of government power

Social capital

Networks of trust and civic involvement (churches, clubs, volunteering) that help democracy function

Political spectrum

Left-to-right scale of political beliefs.

Major beliefs

• Socialist: government ownership/control of major industries; large-scale redistribution.

• Liberal: active government to reduce inequality; protect individual social liberties. Usually Democrat.

• Conservative: small government, free markets, traditional values. Usually Republican.

• Libertarian: minimal government in both economy and personal life.

Demographics

Measurable group traits (age, race, education, income, religion, region) that predict attitudes and voting.

Political polarization

Growing ideological and partisan gap; fewer true swing voters.

Democratic-leaning demographics

Groups that have historically tended to lean Democratic, including younger voters, racial minorities, and people with higher levels of formal education.

Republican-leaning demographics

Groups that have historically tended to lean Republican, including older voters, White evangelical Christians, and rural voters.

Voter Turnout

The percentage of eligible voters who participate in an election

High-turnout demographics

Older, more educated and higher income citizens generally vote at higher rate

Voting requirements/barriers

Rules such as registration requirements, voter id requirements, and election timing can affect partiricipation

Presidential voter turnout

Typicall around 60-65% of the voting eligible population.

Congressional/Midterm turnout

Typically around 40-50%; 2022 was about 46% of eligible voters

Local election turnout

Lower then presidential and midterm turnout, especially when held separately

Voter mobilization

Efforts to encourage people to register and vote

The base

A political part’s most loyal and reliable supporters.

Voter Registration

The process of officially signing up to be eligible to vote

Ticket Splitting

Voting for candidates from diffrent political parties int he same election

Political Efficacy

The belief that one’s politcal participation can influence government

Third parties

Political parties other then the two major U.S. parties

Electoral College

The system in which states select electors who formally choose thge president.

Winnter-take-all

A system where the candidate recieving most votes in a state gets all of that states electoral votes, except maine and nebraska.

Political socialization

The process through which people develop political values and beliefs

Evangelicals

Christians who generally emphasize personal faith, conversion, and the authoirty of the bible.

Fundamentalists

Religious believers who emphasize strict adherence to foundational religious teachings

Public Opinion

The collective views of the public on political issues and government

Polling

Surveying a sample of people to estimate public opinion

How candidates use polling

To identify voter concerns, shape campaign messages, and determine where to focus resources

Yes/no poll

A poll question that uses to basic answer choices such as yes or no

Range of answer poll

A poll that gives respondents multiple choices or a scale of responses

Education and political participation

Higher levels of education are generally associated with higher poltiical participation

Random sampling

Selecting peoplle so each member of the populatiuon has an equal or known chance of being chosen

Margin of error

The expecting range within which a poll’s result may differ from the true population value

Exit Poll

A survey of voters conducted immediately after they vote

Reading polls

Compare percentages, identify differences, and consider the sample size and margin of error

Voter turnout in other democracies

U.S. turnout is generally lower than in many of the other established democracies, although comparisons depend on how turnout is measured.

Factors leading to low turnout

Registration barriers, frquent elections, lack of political efficacy, weak interest, and inconveninet election timing can reduce participation

Voting requirement

States generally establish election rules while constitutional amendment prohibit certain restrictions on voting such as race, sex, failure to pay poll tax, and age for citizens 18+

Motor Voter Law

The national voter registration act of 1993 which made voter registration available through motor vehicle agencies and certain public agencies

Party line voting

Voting for candidates from the same political party across multiple races

Political Socialization

The process by which family, school, peers, media, and expereince shape political beliefs

Innacurate Presidential Polls/Predictions

Notable examples include 1948, 2016, 2020, when some major polls or forecasts differed a lot from eventual results

Prospective Issue Voting

Voting based on what a candidate promises to do in the future

Retrospective voting

Voting based on how voters believe a candidate or party performed in the past

Party identification

A persons psychological attachment to or identification with a political party

Political Particippation

Actions citizens take to influence government, such as voting, campaigning, protesting, or contacting officials.

Demographic political differences

Political preferences can very by age, race, gender, education, income, religion, and location

Primary election

An election used to select a partys candidate for the general election

General election

The election in which voters choose among candidates for public office

Midterm election

A congressional election held halfway through a presidents four year term

Presidential election

A nationwide election held every four years to select the president through the electoral college