AP USGovernment Unit 4

Faction(s)

groups of like minded people form groups

Public goods

products/markets that are government run because they are not efficiently provided in the free market (national defense, environmental stuff)

Politcal Socialization:

The experiences and factors that shape an individuals's politcal values, attitudes and behaviors - often influenced by family, school, peers, media, social environments

Political Culture

The core beliefs and values of citizens as a group, norms for political activity

U.S Political Culture

Defined by it's democratic ideals, principles and core values

Political Ideology

An individual's coherent set of beliefs about how politics should work and what functions the government should perform

The Generational Effect

The impact of historical events experiences by a generation upon their political idelogy

Life-Cycle Effect

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

Political Party

An organized group of leaders, officeholders, and voters that work together to elect candidates to a political office (door knockers to DNC chairs)

Coalition

Groups that support parties over time and vote for their candidates

Party Platform

A formal set of positions, policy objectives and goals of a political party that members of a political party agree to

School Choice

Allows parents to choose school for their kids which encourages competition between schools (school vouchers, charter schools)

Government

the system for implementing decisions made through the political process

Checks and balances

The system that ensures each branch holds some power over the other two (designed to prevent corruption)

Federalism

divides power to the local, state and national level

Individualism

Individuals should be responsible for themselves and for the choices they make

Free Enterprise

An econ system in which gov is minimally involved in the economic transactions among citizen

Party Identification

An individual's attachment to a political party

Conservatism

An ideology favoring more control social behavior, fewer regulations on business, and less gov interference with econ.

Liberalism

An ideology favoring less government control over social behavior and greater regulation of business and of the econ.

Libertarianism

an ideology favoring little gov control beyond protecting property and individual liberty

Medicare

A federal program that provides health insurance to seniors and the disabled (funded by the federal government and federal taxes)

Medicaid

A federal program that provides health care for the poor (funded by states and federal taxes - idk just about like 553.5 BILLION)

Two Basic Requirements For Effective Representation

1. Voters need to have like idk opinions of their own and a way to communicate those opinions with elected reps

2. Elected officials must respond to these expressed preferences

Scientific Poll

A representative poll of randomly selected respondents with a statistically significant sample size, using neutral language

Sample

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

Random Selection

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

Representative Sample

A sample that reflects the demographics of the larger population

Weighting

A procedure in which the survery is adjusted according to the demographics of the larger population

Sampling Error

The margin of error in a poll, usally calculation to plus or minus three percentage points

Mass Survey

A survey designed to measure the opinions of the population (1500 responses)

Push Poll

Not a real poll, a SLEAZY campaign tactic that paints the opposition in a negative light

Entrance and Exit Survey

Poll Conducted of people who headed into our out of voting or an event (see if voters change their minds or to track how people voted)

Benchmark Poll

Taken at the beginning of a political campaign to gauge support for a candidate and determine whats important to voters

Tracking Polls

Determines the level of support for a candidate over the course of a campaign (horse race journalism)

Laissez-faire economy

Economic policy in which governments intrude as little possible in the economic transactions between citizens and businesses

Command and control economy

Economic policy in which government dictates much of a nations economic activity, including the amount of production and price for goods

Mixed Economy

Economic policy in which many economic decisions are left to individuals and businesses, with the government regulating economic activity (The UNITED STATES)

Keynesianism Economics

DEMAND! Confronts high unemployment by stimulating the demand side of the economy - leads to high inflation and requires more government intervention

Reaganomics (Supply Side Theory)

SUPPLY! Confronts economic issues like inflation with tax cut policy - it its critiqued for benefiting the rich and is called “trickle down economics”