Political Ideology and Public Opinion Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms related to political ideology, public opinion polling, political socialization, economic systems, and media effects.

Political Ideology

The system of attitudes and beliefs that shape an individual's opinions on political theory and policy.

Political Polarization

The condition occurring when individuals' political ideologies and opinions are strictly defined by their aligned political party, creating a shift away from opposing views.

Overt Content

News or political information in which the author explicitly makes clear that only one political perspective or side is being presented.

Covert Content

Ideologically slanted political information presented as unbiased in order to subtly influence public opinion.

Cross-cutting Cleavages

Divisions that cut across multiple social groups, encouraging individuals to hold more moderate political views.

Reinforcing Cleavages

Social divisions that point in the same direction, leading to heightened political polarization.

Guns v. Butter Debate

A policy debate over dividing limited national budget resources between military defense spending (guns) and social benefit programs (butter).

Public Opinion

A collection of popular views about a topic, candidate, local or national event, or new political idea.

Political Socialization

The process, beginning at a young age, through which individuals learn the norms, values, and practices of a political system from others.

Agents of Political Socialization

Persons or entities—such as family members, religious leaders, teachers, friends, and colleagues—who influence and teach others about politics.

Free Market Capitalism

An economic system characterized by private property and individual economic decision-making, where market competition encourages lower prices, innovation, and efficiency.

Invisible Hand

Adam Smith's concept that individual choices and self-interest naturally regulate the economic market without requiring heavy government intervention.

Laissez-faire Economics

An economic approach defined by a hands-off policy with minimal or no government intervention.

Communism

An ideology where the government maintains force and control to promote common ownership of all property and means of production to eliminate worker exploitation.

Socialism

An ideology where the government uses its authority to promote social equality, providing basic services and equal opportunities while taxing wealthier citizens more.

Classical Liberalism

A political philosophy emphasizing individual liberties and free will with minimal government involvement.

Modern Liberalism

A political philosophy prioritizing individual liberties alongside an active, larger government that regulates the economy, supports civil rights, and maintains a social safety net.

Classical Conservatism

A historical political ideology supporting the authority of the monarchy and church under the belief that government establishes essential rule of law.

Modern Conservatism

A political philosophy prioritizing individual liberties, smaller government staying out of the economy, traditional social values, and a strong military defense.

Fascism

A political system where a ruling party or total leader exercises absolute control over the economy, military, society, culture, and private lives of citizens.

Straw Polls

Informal public opinion polls that do not use scientific or rigorous methodology.

Random Sample

A limited group selected from a population in such a way that every individual has an equal chance of being chosen.

Representative Sample

A poll sample whose demographic distribution accurately reflects that of the overall survey population.

Push Polls

Polls that intentionally ask leading questions to convey campaign bias and alter respondents' political opinions.

Margin of Error

A measure stating how far poll results may deviate from the actual opinion of the total population.

Period Effects

Major events (such as World War I or World War II) and widespread social trends that shape the political attitudes of an entire population.

Formative Age

The period between ages $18$ and $24$ when an individual typically develops lasting political attitudes.

Party Realignment

A major shift in a political party's agenda or a scenario where voters leave one party to support another.

Horse-race Coverage

Continuous media coverage focusing on candidate standings and polling performance, making elections appear closer than they are.

Bandwagon Effect

A phenomenon where increased media focus on candidates with strong poll numbers leads voters to presume them as the eventual winner.

Diffuse Support

The widespread, foundational belief that a country's government and legal system are legitimate.