AP Government Unit 4 Vocabulary

Vocabulary practice flashcards generated from AP Government Unit 4 lecture notes covering political culture, demographics, polling methods, political ideologies, economic policies, and civil liberties.

American Political Culture

Values that influence individuals' attitudes and beliefs about the relationship between citizens and government.

Equality of Opportunity

The belief that each person should have the same opportunities to advance in society.

Free Enterprise

Belief in the right to compete freely in a market governed by supply and demand with limited government involvement.

Individualism

The principle of valuing individual rights and individual initiative over those of the government.

Limited Government

A political system in which restrictions are placed on government power to protect individual rights.

Rule of Law

A system of government based on a body of law applied equally to all citizens where no one is above the law.

Demographic Characteristics

Traits such as age, race, gender, religion, marital status, occupation, and education level used by political scientists to measure people's attitudes about values.

Globalization

The growth of an interconnected world economy and culture, fueled by lowered trade barriers between nations and advances in communication technology.

Party Socialization

The process by which a person develops political values and beliefs through interactions with family, friends, school, media, and religious groups.

Generational Effects

Changes in political ideology resulting from common experiences shared by a generation (e.g., the Great Depression generation favoring New Deal policies).

Lifecycle Effects

Changes in a person's political attitudes as they go through life stages such as aging, getting married, having children, or buying a home.

Period Effects

Shift in political attitudes resulting from major events or broad social trends.

Formative Age

Ages 18 to 24, when many people form lasting political attitudes.

Party Realignment

A sharp change in the issues or voting blocs that a political party represents.

Public Opinion

How people feel about issues, candidates, and public officials, commonly measured through polls.

Sampling Technique

The process by which pollsters select respondents to a survey or sample population for a poll.

Representative Sample

A relatively small group of respondents who accurately reflect the variety of demographics in the target population.

Benchmark Polls

Polls conducted by a campaign as a race for office begins to provide a basis for comparison with later polls.

Opinion Polls

A poll taken by sampling a small section of the public in an effort to predict election results or gauge public views.

Tracking Polls

A survey performed repeatedly with the same people to measure changes of opinion over time.

Entrance/Exit Polls

Polls performed as voters enter and exit voting locations on Election Day, relied upon by media outlets to project results before ballots are counted.

Mass Survey

A method of measuring public opinion by interviewing a large sample of the population.

Focus Group

A small, demographically-diverse group of people assembled for an in-depth group discussion to test reactions to an idea or candidate.

Conservative Ideology

A political philosophy holding that government should be small (operating mainly at state and local levels), favor private-sector solutions to economic problems, and uphold traditional morality.

Liberal Ideology

A political philosophy holding that government should intervene in the economy and provide social services to ensure societal well-being, while not regulating private sexual or social behaviors.

Progressive Ideology

A political philosophy asserting that it is the government's job to address past wrongs and reform systemic issues that cause disadvantage.

Green Party

A political party favoring a strong federal government with platforms centered on nonviolence, grassroots democracy, social justice, and environmentalism.

Libertarian Party

A political party favoring strictly limited government involvement in personal, social, and economic issues.

Nationalist

An individual or political position that promotes the interests and perceived superiority of their nation.

Policy Mood

A measure of the public's general preferences toward policy choices at a given time.

Position Issue

An issue that divides voters, such as gun control or the death penalty.

Valence Issue

An issue about which most voters agree.

Fiscal Policy

Government decisions about how to influence the economy through taxing and spending.

Monetary Policy

Government decisions about how to influence the economy through control of the money supply and interest rates.

The Federal Reserve

An independent federal agency that determines monetary policy with the goal of stabilizing the banking system and promoting economic growth.

Keynesian Economics

An economic theory that encourages government spending to promote economic growth.

Supply-Side Economics

An economic theory that encourages tax cuts and deregulation in order to promote economic growth.

Government Regulation

Regulatory actions taken by government to affect decisions made by individuals, groups, or organizations regarding social and economic matters.

Individual Liberties

Personal freedoms that the government cannot abridge.

Right to Privacy

The right to be free of government scrutiny into one's private beliefs and behaviors.

Social Policy

Public policy related to health care, human services, criminal justice, inequality, education, and labor.