Unit 4 - American Political Ideologies and Beliefs

Political Culture

The dominant set of beliefs, customs, traditions, and values that define the relationship between citizens and government

Individualism

The belief that individuals should be responsible for themselves and the decisions they make

Laissez-faire of free enterprise

An economic system in which government intrudes as little as possible in the economic transactions among citizens and businesses

Rule of law

The principal that no one, including public officials, is above the law

Political socialization

The experiences and factors that shape an individual's political values, attitudes, and behaviors

generational effect

The impact of historical events experienced by a generation upon their political views

life-cycle effect

The impact of a person's age and stage in life on his or her political views

globalization

The increasing interconnectedness of people, businesses, and countries throughout the world

outsourcing

When a company moves its business to a place where labor costs are cheaper or production is more efficient because workers work longer hours

public opinion

The sum of individual attitudes about government, policies, and issues

Random Sampling

a method where each individual in a population has an equal chance of being selected for the sample, ensuring that the sample is unbiased and representative of the population.

Exit poll

a survey conducted with voters immediately after they have cast their ballots, used to predict election results or gather information on voting behavior.

Tracking poll

a survey conducted repeatedly over time to monitor changes in public opinion or voter behavior, often used during political campaigns to track trends and shifts.

public opinion

the sum of individual attitudes about government, policies and issues.

focus group

a small group of individuals assembled for a conversation about specific issues

scientific poll

a representative poll of randomly selected respondents

sample

a group of individuals from a larger population used to measure public opinion.

weighting

a procedure in which the survey is adjusted according to the demographics of the larger population

sampling error

the margin of error in a poll, which is usually calculated to plus or minus 3 percentage points

mass survey

a survey designed to measure the opinions of the population, usually consisting of 1,500 responses

entrance survey

a poll conducted of people coming to an event.

benchmark poll

a survey taken at the beginning of a political campaign in order to gauge support for a candidate and determine which issues are important to voters

random digit dialing

the use of telephone numbers randomly generated by computer to select potential survey respondents

question order

the sequencing of questions in public opinion polls

question wording

the phrasing of a question in a public opinion poll

political ideology

a set of beliefs about the desired goals and outcomes of a process of governance

right

something guaranteed, that the government cannot take away

privilage

something a person by obtain or receive, but the government cannot take away.

party ideology

a party’s philosophy about the proper role of the government and its set of positions on major issues

party identification

an individuals attachment to a political party

conservatism

an ideology favoring more control of social behavior, fewer regulations on business, and less government interference in the economy.

liberalism

an ideology favoring less government control over social behavior and more greater regulation of business and the economy

libertarianism

an ideology favoring very little government regulation and intervention beyond protecting private property and individual liberty.

laissez-faire economy

economic policy in which governments intrude as little as possible in the economic transactions between citizens and business.

command and-control economy

economic policy in which government dictates much of a nation’s economic activity, including the amount of production and price for good.

mixed economy

economic policy in which many economic decisions are left to individuals and businesses, with the government regulating economic activity.

gross domestic product (GDP)

the total value of goods and services produced by an economy.

economic recession

a period of decline in economic activity, typically defined by two consecutive quarters of negative GDP growth

unemployment rate

the percentage of people actively looking for work who cannot find jobs.

inflation

the rise in the prices of goods and services.

fiscal policy

government use of taxes and spending to attempt to lower unemployment, support economic growth, and stabilize the economy.

Federal Reserve System

a board of governors, Federal Reserve banks, and member banks responsible for monetary policy.

Monetary policy

a set of economic policy tools designed to regulate the amount of money in the economy

Medicare

a federal program that provides health insurance to seniors and the disabled.

Medicaid

a federal program that provides health care for the poor

Representative sampling

A sample that reflects the demographics of the population

Random selection

A method of choosing all pool respondents in a way that does not over or underrepresent any group of the population