AP U.S. Government & Politics Review: American Political Ideologies and Beliefs

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts related to American Political Ideologies and Beliefs as part of AP U.S. Government & Politics.

Ideology

Beliefs and ideas that shape political opinion and policy.

Equal Opportunity

Everyone has the same chance to advance in society, regardless of social background.

Individualism

Valuing individual rights and liberties; promotes personal responsibility and initiative.

Free Enterprise

Right to compete in the market by supply and demand; limited government involvement.

Rule of Law

Nobody is above the law, regardless of status or position; law applies to everyone equally.

Limited Government

System where the government has set restrictions to protect people's individual rights and liberties.

Political Socialization

A continuous process in which a person develops their ideology through different factors and experiences.

Globalization

Growth of cultural and economic relationships between nations, often due to the rise in technology.

Generational Effects

Experiences shared by people of the same age that shape their ideologies and political attitudes.

Lifecycle Effects

Individual experiences and factors that shape an individual’s ideologies and political attitude over a lifetime.

Public Opinion

The people’s preferences and opinions towards certain issues or political figures, measured through polls and surveys.

Random Sample

Randomized process of selecting a sample, ensuring everyone in the population has an equal chance of being selected.

Margin of Error

Range in which data and results are considered accurate.

Benchmark Polls

Polls taken at the beginning of an official's campaign, used for comparison with later polls.

Exit Polls

Polls taken after voters exit polling locations, used by media to predict election outcomes.

Types of Polls

Various polling methods such as opinion polls, tracking polls, entrance polls, mass surveys, and focus groups.

Intense Opinions

How strong people hold an opinion.

Manifest Opinion

Opinions held by a widespread amount of people.

Salience

Individual measure of how an issue affects that individual.

Political Party

An organization that seeks political power by electing its members to public office.

Liberal Ideology

Promotes government interference in the economy to provide social services that increase public equality.

Conservative Ideology

Against government interference in the economy; favors small government and strong state governments.

Progressive Party

Supports reforming past issues that resulted in social disadvantages.

Green Party

Focuses on environmental issues and social justice.

Libertarian Party

Advocates for limited government intervention in economic, social, and personal matters.

Fiscal Policy

Decisions on how the government manages the economy through taxing and spending.

Monetary Policy

Decisions on how the government controls the money supply and interest rates.

Keynesian Economics

Philosophy that encourages government spending to promote economic growth and stability.

Supply-Side Economics

Philosophy that encourages tax cuts and deregulation to promote economic growth and stability.

Laissez-Faire

'Hands-off' government approach where there is little interference.