U.S. Government Ideologies, Political Polling & Economic Policy

Conservative ideology

a person who believes in less government, lower taxes, a strong national defense, and more personal responsibility.

Core values

Individualism, Equality of Opportunity, Free Enterprise System, Rule of Law, and Limited Government

Equality of opportunity

one of the core values that people believe should be a function of the government. The government should promote policies that give people a level playing field in getting education or a job.

Exit poll

a survey of randomly selected voters that is taken outside the voting area as the voter is leaving; intended to find out who the voters cast their ballots for, demographic information and where the voter stands on various issues.

Federal reserve

federal body that regulates the money supply by controlling the open-market operations; buying and selling of government securities; and establishing reserve requirements, the legal limitations on money reserves that banks must keep against the amount of money they have deposited in federal reserve banks and through discount rates, and the rate at which banks can borrow money from the federal reserve system. The central bank of the United States. It was built to provide the nation with a safe, flexible, and stable financial and monetary system after a series of damaging banking panics.

Fiscal policy

policy that determines how the economy is managed as a result of government spending and borrowing and the amount of money collected from taxes.

Focus group

small discussion groups; a technique used by pollsters to determine how a cross section of voters feels about a particular topic.

Free enterprise

the basis of American capitalism; it is characterized by the government allowing open markets and competition in the market place with limited intervention.

Globalization

Increasing connectedness of people, businesses, and countries around the world.

Individualism

the moral stance, political philosophy, ideology, or social outlook that emphasizes the moral worth of the individual.

Keynesian economics

John Maynard Keynes advocated government programs to increase employment and spending so that consumers could spend more money through investments or purchases of goods and services.

Liberal ideology

one who believes in the protection of civil liberties, greater government intervention for social welfare, higher taxes on the rich, and a foreign policy that promotes peace

Libertarian ideology

one who believes a government should not interfere in a person's life, advocates reduced government regulation, believes in the second amendment gun right, and has an overall philosophy that looks at the primary function of government to increase civil liberties of individuals, which increases their rights.

Limited government

derived from the doctrine of natural rights, it was adopted by Jefferson and restricts the power of government, especially in the area of protecting the rights of the people.

Monetary policy

policies developed by the federal reserves board, such as raising or lowering interest rates; aimed at creating and maintaining a healthy economy. Manage overall money supply.

Planned parenthood v. Casey

that reaffirmed the essential right to an abortion established in Roe v. Wade, but replaced its rigid trimester framework with the "undue burden" standard. The Court ruled that a state may regulate abortion prior to fetal viability as long as the regulation does not have the purpose or effect of placing a "substantial obstacle" in the path of a woman seeking an abortion

Political culture

the fundamental values people have about their government and how these values translate into voting patterns

Political ideology

a consistent, interconnected set of ideas and beliefs that an individual or group holds regarding the proper scope, goals, and role of government. Set of beliefs about government and politics. Family (#1), Peers, School, Media, Religious and Civic Organizations, Globalization

Public opinion

scientific surveys aimed at gauging public preferences of candidates and issues. The sum of stated individual ideas about government and related policies and issues.

Political socialization

the factors that determine voting behavior, such as family, religion, and ethnic background. Process by which political views and values are passed on to younger generations.

Rule of law

procedures followed by the government guaranteeing the due process rights of individuals.

Scientific polling sample

scientific polling that uses a random sample of the population

Supply

side economics - a component of the free enterprise system favoring those who produce goods and services with minimum government regulation or interference.

Tracking polls

polls conducted by media outlets to gauge the potential outcome of a political election on a periodic basis.