Public Opinion, Political Socialization, and Ideological Types in U.S. Politics

Public Opinion

the collective attitude of citizens on a given issue or question

Majoritarian theory

Government should do what the majority wants

Pluralist model

provides for 'minority publics'

Random sample

a sample that is random but valid

Size of sample

the number of individuals included in a sample

Shape of Distribution

the form of the distribution of data points

Skewed Distribution

one side more dominant in the distribution

Bimodal Distribution

lots on either end, often indicating a touchy or difficult issue

Normal Distribution

bell curve distribution

Stable Distribution

a distribution that doesn't change much over time

Political Socialization

the complex process by which people acquire their political values

Primacy

learned first is learned best

Structuring principle

a concept that acts as a framework for understanding information

Agents of Early Socialization

factors that influence early political learning, such as family and school

Continuing Socialization

occurs throughout life as individuals continue to learn about politics

Socioeconomic Status

the social standing or class of an individual or group, often measured as a combination of education, income, and occupation

Ideological Thinking

the degree of ideological thought in public opinion

Libertarian

a political ideology that emphasizes individual liberty, representing 15% of the U.S. population

Conservative

a political ideology that favors tradition and is represented by 32% of the U.S. population

Liberal

a political ideology that advocates for social equality, representing 23% of the U.S. population

Communitarian

a political ideology that emphasizes community and social responsibility, representing 30% of the U.S. population

Political Knowledge

the understanding of political processes and issues, often higher among men, whites, affluent, and older individuals

Self-Interest

the principle that individuals choose based on what they perceive benefits them

Opinion Schemas

networks of organized knowledge and beliefs that guide a person's processing of information regarding a particular subject

Issue framing

the way politicians define an issue when presenting it to others