AP U.S. Government and Politics: Political Culture, Public Opinion, and Ideology Review

Vocabulary review covering political culture, economic philosophies, constitutional liberties, public opinion polling data, and national security legacies.

Tocqueville's Concept of Individualism

The principle described by Alexis de Tocqueville in Democracy in America wherein equality causes individuals to seek opinions within themselves and turn their feelings away from their communities toward themselves alone.

Adam Smith's Perspective on Economic Regulation

The view articulated in The Wealth of Nations (1776) stating that the government should not attempt to direct private capital or regulate manufacturing, as state intervention in business is almost always useless or hurtful.

Limited Government

The foundational United States government ideal exemplified by Adam Smith's argument that political rulers and legislative bodies should strictly restrain their authority over private business operations and capital.

Corporate Tax Rates and State Ideology

The geographic and ideological correlation showing that states with higher corporate income tax rates are significantly more likely to enact liberal policies and support Democratic candidates.

American Support for Constitutional Freedoms

The public opinion phenomenon demonstrating that citizens consistently uphold and endorse constitutional freedoms and civil liberties in the abstract, but not always in the concrete.

Income Level and Government Size Preference

The demographic trend identified by the Pew Research Center indicating that higher income levels correspond with greater likelihood of favoring smaller government and fewer public services.

Partisan Stance on Business Regulation

The ideological contrast wherein Republicans are substantially more likely than Democrats to support deregulation of businesses as a means to encourage economic growth and raise wages.

Keynesian Economic Approach

An economic strategy that responds to recessions by increasing federal government spending on public projects, such as transportation infrastructure, rather than enacting tax cuts or practicing laissez-faire non-intervention.

Conservative Economic Ideology

A political philosophy holding that the federal government should strictly limit its intervention and regulation within the marketplace.

Political Efficacy

The belief held by citizens that they have a say in what the government does and can influence public policy and decision-making.

Post-9/11 Constitutional Framework Dilemma

The core argument by Kathleen Hicks in The Atlantic Monthly (2016) asserting that citizens must ensure fear of terrorism does not override adherence to constitutional civil liberties protections.

"Homeland Sanctuary"

A phrase used by some members of the U.S. military during the 1990s to describe the perceived domestic immunity of the United States from external territorial threats prior to 9/11.