Unit test Ch. 8

general election

elections in which voters elect office holders

prospective issue voting

voting based on what a candidate pledges to do in future if elected

primary election

elections in which voters determine party nominees

exit polls

surveys taken right after individual leaves polling to understand how and why they voted. This helps election results

selective exposure

individuals choosing to access media with which they agree with or avoiding media with which they disagree

midterm elections

elections held midway between presidential elections

retrospective issue voting

holding incumbents, usually president’s party responsible for past performance on issues such as economy or foreign policy

public opinion

a distribution of individual preference for or evaluations of a given issue, candidate or institution within a specific population

Random sample

type of sample, every individual has a known and equal chance of being selected

margin of error

the range of percentage points in which the sample accurately reflects the population

party identification

an informal and subjective affiliation with a political party that most people acquire in childhood

presidential election

elections held every 4 years when the president is on the ballot

split ticket voting

when a voter selects candidates from different political parties for different offices in the same election

straight ticket voting

when a voter chooses candidates from the same political party for all positions on the ballot

political socialization

the process- most notably in families and schools - by which we develop our political attitudes, values and beliefs

attitudes

an individual’s propensity to perceive, interpret, or act toward a particular object in a particular way

attentive public

citizens who follow public affairs carefully

universe

the group of people whose preferences we try to measure by taking a sample; also called population

intensity

a measure of how strongly an individual holds a particular opinion

latency

political opinions that are held but not yet expressed

manifest opinion

a widely shared and consciously held view, such as support for abortion rights or for homeland security

salience

an individual’s belief that an issue is important or relevant to him or her

voter registration

a system designed to reduce voter fraud by limiting to those who have established eligibility to vote by submitting the proper documents, including proof of residency

turnout

the proportion of the voting-age public that votes, sometimes defined as the number of registered voters that vote

candidate appeal

how voters feel about a candidate’s background, personality, leadership ability, and other personal qualities