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What is political socialization?

The process in which people learn about their government and acquire beliefs, attitudes, values, and behaviors associated with good citizenship.

What is the biggest influence on a person's party identity or political ideology?

Family, school, peers, media, social environments, geographic location.

What affects voter’s behavior or political ideology?

Affected by demographic factors; younger voters and minority groups tend to vote at lower rates compared to older voters.

What belief motivates individuals to participate in elections?

Belief that one's vote matters, known as political efficacy.

How can major national events affect voting behavior?

Major national events can shift voting behavior dramatically by changing public opinion and priorities.

What is party identification?

Voting for candidates of identified party.

How have early voting and mail-in ballots affected voter turnout?

They have increased voter turnout.

What is an opinion poll?

A poll that represents opinions of the population through a series of questions and generalities from answers.

What is a benchmark poll?

The first poll taken in a campaign.

What is a tracking poll?

Poll repeated at intervals, using data from the past week and discarding older data.

What is an exit poll?

Poll taken immediately after leaving the polling station.

What makes a poll more accurate?

A representative and randomly selected sample, large sample size with low margin of error, neutral wording, and proper weighting to reflect demographic diversity.

What do conservatives generally believe?

They lean more towards traditional values, supporting no gun laws, free markets, pro-life policies, and low taxes.

What do liberals generally endorse?

Policies different from traditional values, including trans rights, taxing the rich, universal healthcare, and equity programs for marginalized groups.

What is Keynesian economics?

An economic theory suggesting that government intervention through fiscal policy can stabilize the economy during recessions and control inflation during booms.

What is monetary policy?

The regulation of money supply and interest rates to control inflation, unemployment, and economic growth, managed by the Federal Reserve.

What tools are used in monetary policy?

Open Market Operations, Discount Rate, and Reserve Requirements.

What is straight ticket voting?

Voting for candidates of only one specific political party across the entire ballot.

What is split ticket voting?

Voting for candidates from different political parties on the same ballot.

What is the biggest obstacle for third parties in general elections?

Winning the electoral college; a third party needs a majority of votes in each state to gain electoral votes.

What is a closed primary?

An election where only registered voters of a political party can vote and receive a ballot for that party.

What is an open primary?

An election open to all voters, regardless of their political party affiliation.

How does the electoral college work?

Votes in each state are counted, and the party with the majority receives all electoral votes, with Maine and Nebraska using a district system.

What is the BCRA (Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act)?

A 2002 law aimed at regulating campaign financing and restricting soft money contributions.

What was the outcome of the Citizens United vs. FEC case?

The Supreme Court ruled that corporations and unions can spend unlimited amounts on political campaigns independent of candidates, leading to the rise of Super PACs.