Unit 4 Vocab AP Gov

Benchmark poll

Initial poll on a candidate and issues on which campaign strategy is based and against which later polls are compared.

Closed-ended questions

Questions a person must answer by choosing from a limited, predetermined set of responses; less detailed but easier to categorize.

Conservatism

Government programs should promote social morality; less government regulation of the marketplace to achieve greater individual prosperity; flatter income taxation, pro-life; civil liberties.

Democratic party factions

Liberals, socialists, environmentalists, feminists, LGBT, ethnic minority rights activists.

Democratic Party Ideology

Generally liberal ideologically although it also appeals to some moderates and libertarians.

Entrance poll

A poll that is taken before voters have cast their votes at the polling stations.

Equality of opportunity

The idea that each person is guaranteed the same chance to succeed in life.

Exit poll

A survey taken at polling places of how people voted.

Focus group

A small group of individuals who are led in discussion by a professional consultant in order to gather opinions on and responses to candidates and issues.

Free enterprise

The idea that property rights must be respected with little government interference.

Income taxation

May be progressive (the more you make the higher your percentage you pay) or flat (everyone pays the same rate).

Individualism

The idea that the most important consideration is each person's self-fulfillment.

Keynesian economics

A form of demand-side economics that encourages government action to stimulate the economy through program spending; can be done by Congress and the President.

Liberalism

Government programs should promote social equality; government regulation of the marketplace to achieve greater equality; progressive taxation, affirmative action, civil rights.

Libertarianism

The less government does, the better; private property and individual liberty; lower and flat income taxation.

Limited government

The idea that certain restrictions should be placed on government to protect the natural rights of citizens.

Mass survey

A way to measure public opinion by interviewing a large sample of the population.

Moderate

Person whose views are between conservative and liberal and may include some of both ideologies.

Monetary policy

Government policy that attempts to manage the economy by controlling the money supply and thus interest rates; done by the Federal Reserve.

Open-ended questions

Questions that allow respondents to answer however they want; more detailed but more difficult to categorize.

Opinion poll

An assessment of public opinion obtained by questioning a representative sample.

Party faction

Group within a political party with the same stance on an issue that attempts to influence the platform of the party and the positions of party leaders.

Plank

Each individual part of a political party's platform.

Platform

A series of statements expressing the party's principles, beliefs, and positions on election issues.

Political socialization

The process by which we develop our political attitudes, values, and beliefs; influenced by family, media, peers, etc.

Republican party factions

Conservatives, libertarians, pro-life, gun rights, religious right.

Republican Party Ideology

Generally conservative although it also appeals to some moderates and libertarians.

Rule of Law

The idea that the law applies to everyone, even those who govern and cannot be set aside.

Sampling Techniques

Techniques used to collect samples for polls, for example random or non-random sampling.

Supply-side economics

Encourages the cutting of tax rates to stimulate the economy; can be done by Congress and the President.

Tracking polls

Continuous surveys that enable a campaign or news organization to chart a candidate's daily rise or fall in support.