Unit 4 AP US Government Vocabulary

American Values

• Individualism

• Equality of Opportunity

• Free Enterprise

• Rule of Law

• Limited Government

Individualism

Places value on a person’s independence and self-reliance

Equality of Opportunity

Every American, no matter their or class, should have equal rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness

Free Enterprise

Government should adopt a laissez faire attitude toward business, and allow forces like supply and demand to govern the marketplace

Rule of Law

Every citizen is equal under the law—no one has any special privileges

Limited Government

Government whose limits are well-defined and is restrained through the separation of powers and a system of checks and balances

Liberal

• Push for new reforms in order to make society more and just and equitable

• Prefer a larger government that provides an abundance of services to its citizens

• Believe that more government involvement is necessary in achieving individualism and free enterprise

Conservative

• Cherish established institutions and seek to preserve them for the good of society

• Want a smaller government that provides less services

Liberal vs. Conservative

Political Socialization

• Family

• School

• Peers

• Media

• Social Environments

• Globalization

American Generations

• Silent Generation

• Baby Boomers

• Generation X

• Millennials

Silent Generation

Refers to the cohort of Americans born between 1928 and 1945, characterized by their experiences during the post-World War II era, economic expansion, and significant social changes. (Conservative, VOTE)

Millennials

• More Liberal than previous generations

• Value cooperation and diplomacy

• More ethnically diverse

• More highly educated

• Not opposed to government regulation of business for the purpose of consumer protection and a clean environment

Major Events (Factor of Political Socialization)

Have a disproportionate impact on a person’s political socialization.

Political Ideology

An interlocking set of ideals that form the basis for political decision making

Conservatives have been becoming more conservative, while liberals have been becoming more liberal.

Democratic Platform

• Protecting a woman’s rights to abortion

• Equal rights for women and the LGBTQ+ community

• Healthcare for the poor

Republican Platform

• Cutting taxes

• America-first trade policy

• Anti-regulation of business

Dream Act

Legislation aimed at providing a pathway to legal status for undocumented immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children.

Keynesian Economics

• Associated with Liberal

• Addresses fiscal policy

• When demand is too low, the government should step in and put more money into the economy by reducing taxes or increasing government spending, or both

Supply-Side Economics

• Associated with Conservative

• Addresses fiscal policy

• Emphasizes reliance on the forces of supply and demand, and that the government should keep their hands out of these forces

Libertarianism

• Has social convictions of liberals

• Has political convictions of conservatives

• Wants least intrusive government possible

Monetary Policy

• How much currency is in circulation

• Buying and selling government bonds, setting reserve requirements, and setting interest rates

Federal Reserve

responsible for managing monetary policy

Polls

surveys used to measure public opinion and preferences on various issues, with questions free from bias as much as possible.

Opinion Polls

Conducted to get a feel for the public’s opinion or feeling on certain candidates or policies

Benchmark Polls

Taken at the beginning of a candidate’s run, gives the campaign a benchmark against which they can compare future polls to see how the candidate is faring

Tracking Polls

Conducted over time, usually with the same group of people, that give information on how the group feels about a given issue

Entrance Polls

Conducted before people enter their polling location, ask how they will vote

Exit Polls

Conducted after voters leave their polling location, ask how they voted

Reliable Sample

• Representative Sample

• Random Sample

Good Margin of Error

Plus or Minus 4%

Mass Survey

Sample is as big as possible, best for quantitative data

Focus Groups

10-40 People, emphasizes qualitative data

Bandwagon Effect

When a certain candidate is doing good in the polls, there’s an impulse to get behind the winning candidate.

Social Desirability Bias

The tendency for respondents to answer questions in a manner that will be viewed favorably by others, often leading to inaccurate or misleading data.

Non-Response Bias

The bias that occurs when certain individuals do not respond to surveys or polls, which can skew the results and lead to unrepresentative data.