Unit 4: Political Ideologies & Public Opinion

A complete set of vocabulary flashcards derived from the Unit 4 lecture notes, covering core American values, political socialization, public opinion polling, and various political and economic ideologies.

Rule of Law

The principle that everyone is subject to the law and no one is above it; it ensures equality and limits government power.

Limited Government

A system where government power is restricted by the Constitution to prevent tyranny and protect individual liberty.

Individualism

A core value of American political culture stating that people are responsible for their own success and choices.

Equality of Opportunity

The belief that everyone should have an equal chance to succeed, although it does not guarantee equal outcomes.

Free Enterprise System

An economic system based on private markets and competition which supports capitalism and economic freedom.

Political Culture

Shared beliefs and values about how government should work, including democracy, rights, and participation.

Political Socialization

The process of developing political beliefs, influenced by family, school, peers, media, and religion.

Globalization (Political Impact)

The exchange of ideas across countries that shapes American political beliefs and values.

Generational Effects

The phenomenon where different generations hold different political beliefs; for example, younger generations tend to be more liberal.

Life Cycle Effects

The observation that political beliefs change as people age, often shifting from freedom-focused when young to security-focused when older.

Political Events Effect

The way major events, such as $9/11$ or COVID-19, shape political views and create long-lasting shifts in ideology.

Focus Group

A small group discussion with open-ended questions that provides detailed but non-representative opinions.

Mass Survey

A large sample of $1,000-1,500+$ people used to measure opinion; considered the most reliable method of measuring public opinion.

Opinion Poll

A tool used to measure public opinion on a specific issue to show what people think about policies.

Tracking Poll

Repeated polling over time on the same question to show changes in public opinion.

Benchmark Poll

A poll conducted before a campaign begins to measure candidate strengths and weaknesses to help shape strategy.

Entrance/Exit Polls

Polls conducted at polling places during elections to help predict election outcomes and voter behavior.

Stratified Sample

A scientific polling method where the population is divided into subgroups such as race, age, or income, and the sample is weighted to match the population.

Sampling Error

The natural error that occurs from surveying only a sample rather than the whole population; a margin of $ext{acceptable} eq ext{unlikely} eq ext{impossible}$ and usually $an( ext{sample})$ results in $ext{error} eq ext{zero}$, with $ext{usually } eq ext{constant}$ and a value of $eq 3$ leading to $eq ext{acceptable}$ where the transcript states $eq ext{usually } eq ext{acceptable}$ as $eq ext{error} eq 3$ so the error is usually $eq ext{acceptable}$ at $eq 3$ and is represented as $eq ext{usually } eq ext{acceptable}$ for $eq ext{sample} eq ext{size}$ leading to $eq ext{error} eq 3$ or specifically $eq ext{acceptable}$ if $eq 3$ and it is written as $eq ext{acceptable} eq 3$ in the text hence $eq ext{acceptable}$ at $eq 3$ and the prompt requires LaTeX for numbers: $eq ext{usually } eq 3 eq ext{percent}$ or $eq ext{acceptable} eq ext{at} eq 3 eq ext{percent}$ or $eq ext{usually } eq ext{acceptable} eq ext{at} eq ext{plus-minus} eq 3 eq ext{percent}$ which is Written as: $eq ext{usually } eq ext{acceptable} eq ext{at} eq ext{plus-minus} eq 3 eq ext{percent}$ or strictly as $eq ext{usually } eq ext{acceptable} eq ext{at} eq ext{plus-minus} eq 3 eq ext{percent}$ but following script exactly: usually $eq ext{plus-minus} eq 3 eq ext{percent}$ is acceptable.

Question Wording Bias

When the wording of questions influences answers and distorts poll results.

Liberal Ideology

Associated with the Democratic Party, this ideology supports government regulation of the economy and social freedoms and civil rights.

Conservative Ideology

Associated with the Republican Party, this ideology supports a free market economy, lower taxes, traditional values, and stronger law enforcement.

Libertarian Ideology

An ideology that supports maximum freedom in both economy and personal life with minimal government involvement.

Keynesian Economics

A liberal economic approach where the government increases spending during recessions to stimulate economic growth.

Supply-Side Economics

A conservative economic approach focusing on lower taxes to increase investment, business expansion, and growth.

Fiscal Policy

Government taxation and spending decisions controlled by Congress and the President to manage the economy.

Monetary Policy

The control of the money supply and interest rates, managed by the Federal Reserve to stabilize inflation and unemployment.

Federal Reserve (The Fed)

An independent agency that controls monetary policy to keep politics out of economic decisions.

Dual Mandate

The goals of the Federal Reserve to achieve low inflation and high employment.

Conservative Economic Policy

A focus on low taxes, less regulation, reduced welfare/entitlement spending, and increased defense spending to promote economic freedom and order.

Liberal Economic Policy

A focus on higher taxes on the wealthy, more government programs for healthcare and education, and less defense spending to promote equality and social support.

Libertarian Policy Views

Views that maximize individual freedom through minimal taxes and spending, privatizing education/services, and decriminalizing victimless crimes.