AP Gov: Chapters 10-12; Political Ideologies, Polling, and Voting Behaviors

Individualism

The belief that people should be responsible for themselves and make their own choices with minimal reliance on the state.

Equality of opportunity

The core American value that every person should have an equal chance to succeed, rather than a guarantee of equal economic outcomes.

Free enterprise

An economic system guided by market competition, consumer demand, and private ownership with minimal state intervention.

Rule of law

The constitutional principle that every member of a society, including leaders and public officials, must obey established statutes.

Limited government

A political system in which governing powers are strictly restricted by constitutional authority to preserve individual liberties.

Political socialization

The lifelong process through which individuals develop their civic beliefs, attitudes, and ideological values from agents like family, school, and media.

Generational effect

The shared political outlook formed among a specific age cohort due to experiencing major historical events during formative years.

Life-cycle effect

The shift in personal political priorities and policy preferences as a person matures through different developmental stages.

Fiscal policy

The federal government's use of taxation and budgetary spending decisions to regulate economic activity.

Monetary policy

Actions managed by a nation's central banking authority to adjust interest rates, control inflation, and regulate the money supply.

Federal Reserve System

The independent central bank of the United States tasked with setting reserve requirements, adjusting discount rates, and conducting open-market operations.

Keynesian economics

An economic theory proposing that public spending and government deficits should be used to stimulate aggregate demand during downturns.

Supply-side economics

An economic theory asserting that reducing taxes and lifting regulatory burdens stimulates business investment and expands production.

Liberalism

A political ideology supporting government intervention to promote social welfare, address economic disparities, and defend civil rights, while protecting personal privacy in individual behavior.

Conservatism

A political ideology emphasizing free markets, lower tax burdens, traditional social institutions, and robust national defense.

Libertarianism

A political philosophy championing individual liberty with minimal government intervention in both economic affairs and private conduct.

Representative sample

A small group surveyed whose demographic makeup accurately reflects the composition of the total population under evaluation.

Random selection

A sampling method ensuring that every individual in a target group has an equal mathematical likelihood of being chosen.

Sampling error

The statistical margin reflecting the expected variance between survey findings and the actual views of the entire population.

Weighting

A statistical technique used to adjust survey results so demographic sub-groups proportionally reflect real-world population distributions.

Benchmark poll

A baseline survey administered at the beginning of a political campaign to measure an aspiring candidate's initial name recognition and viability.

Tracking poll

A continuous, repetitive survey fielded across successive days to monitor short-term shifts in public opinion or electoral momentum.

Entrance poll

A survey taken of voters directly before they step into a caucus or voting precinct to gauge their intended choices.

Exit poll

A survey conducted with electors immediately upon leaving polling stations to gather demographic data and forecast election outcomes.

Push poll

A telemarketing tactic framed as objective research that uses leading, biased questions to sway prospective voters.

Political participation

The diverse actions citizens undertake to influence government policy, candidate selection, and political processes.

15th Amendment

Constitutional provision prohibiting the denial of the right to vote based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude.

19th Amendment

Constitutional measure prohibiting states and the federal government from denying the right to vote on the basis of sex.

24th Amendment

Constitutional provision abolishing poll taxes as a condition for voting in federal elections.

26th Amendment

Constitutional amendment lowering the legal voting age from 21 to 18 years of age.

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Landmark civil rights law that banned literacy tests, established federal monitors, and protected minority ballot access.

Political efficacy

The confidence citizens have that their individual voice and civic participation can influence the political system.

Rational choice voting

A voting behavior model where an individual selects candidates based on a calculated assessment of their own self-interest.

Retrospective voting

A voting model in which voters hold the incumbent party or candidate accountable by evaluating past performance in office.

Prospective voting

A voting model where an elector makes choices by evaluating candidate campaign promises and anticipated future actions.

Party-line voting

The practice of selecting candidates exclusively from one political organization across all offices on a ballot.

National Voter Registration Act of 1993

Statute requiring states to allow eligible citizens to register to vote at motor vehicle offices and social service agencies; also known as the Motor Voter Act.

Voter identification laws

Regulations requiring electors to present official identification, such as a photo ID, prior to casting a ballot.