Political Ideologies + Reading Graphs Vocabulary

AP Gov

Political Socialization

Definition: How people learn political beliefs over time.

Example: Family gives most people their first political views.

Significance: Explains why beliefs stay stable and why groups think differently.

Misleading wording

Biased questions change answers.
Ex: “Do you support wasteful government programs?”

Raw Numbers vs Percentages

Numbers alone hide scale.
Ex: 1,000 people means nothing without total group.

Wrong measurement

Graph doesn’t measure the thing it claims.
Ex: Asking about “women’s health” instead of abortion.

Correlation does not equal causation

Two trends together don’t mean one caused the other.
Ex: Ice cream sales + drowning both rise in summer.

Axis manipulation

Changing the y-axis exaggerates changes.
Ex: 4.9–5.1% shown as a huge jump.

Pollster bias

Poll creators may shape results.
Ex: Oil company calling regulations “job-killing.”

Missing context

Data is true but incomplete.
Ex: Crime doubled from 2 to 4.

Sampling error

Margin of error makes close polls uncertain.
Ex: +2% with ±4% = tie.

Abortion

Dems: Support legal abortion. Want national protections.

Reps: Oppose abortion. Support bans or limits.

Affirmative Action

Dems: Support it for diversity. Want race considered.

Reps: Oppose it. Want race-neutral decisions.

Crime & Justice

Dems: Support reform and rehabilitation. Want police accountability.

Reps: Support law-and-order. Want strict policing.

Energy

Dems: Support wind/solar. Reduce fossil fuels.

Reps: Support oil/gas/coal. Oppose strict regulations.

Foreign Intervention (Israel/Ukraine)

Dems: Support aid with humanitarian limits. Prefer diplomacy.

Reps: Support strong military backing. Favor toughness abroad.

Free Trade vs Tariffs

Dems: Support trade with protections. Oppose big tariffs.

Reps: Support tariffs to protect U.S. jobs. Target China.

Government Role in Economy

Dems: Support larger gov’t role. Want regulations and programs.

Reps: Support limited gov’t. Prefer free markets.

Healthcare

Dems: Support expanding gov’t healthcare. Protect/expand ACA.

Reps: Oppose gov’t-run systems. Support private options.

Immigration

Dems: Support path to citizenship. Support DACA.

Reps: Support strict border security. Tougher enforcement.

Minimum Wage

Dems: Support higher federal wage. Push for living wage.

Reps: Oppose large federal raises. Let states/market decide.

School Vouchers

Dems: Oppose vouchers. Keep money in public schools.

Reps: Support vouchers. Want school choice.

Taxes

Dems: Support higher taxes on wealthy. Fund programs.

Reps: Support tax cuts. Boost economic growth.

Title IX

Dems: Broad protections including LGBTQ+. Strong enforcement.

Reps: Support Title IX but oppose some expansions. Focus on fairness in women’s sports.

Unions & Right-to-Work

Dems: Support unions. Oppose right-to-work.

Reps: Support right-to-work. Favor worker choice.

Welfare

Dems: Support strong welfare programs. Fewer restrictions.

Reps: Limited welfare. Want work requirements