Political Ideologies and Polling Concepts

A collection of vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts from political ideologies, polling methods, and socialization in political contexts.

Participatory Democracy

A theory of democracy associated with delegate representation where democracy is majority rule by individuals, not groups.

Trustee

A theory of democracy associated with elitism where elected officials vote for the long-term interests of the people.

Delegate

A theory of representation suggesting that representatives should vote the way voters would vote if present.

Pluralism

A view of society as a collection of groups where democracy is seen as a compromise between differing societal views.

Elitism

A theory suggesting that a select group of elites governs, often for their own benefit.

Margin of Error

The range within which the true value of a poll result likely falls, indicating reliability.

Question Wording Effects

The phenomenon where slight changes in question phrasing can significantly alter survey responses.

Political Socialization

The process by which individuals acquire political values, beliefs, and orientations.

Generational Effects

Long-lasting impacts of certain historical events on the political attitudes of individuals born during that period.

Life-Cycle Effects

Changes in political attitudes that occur as a result of aging and different life stage experiences.

Response Acquiescence

When survey respondents tend to agree rather than disagree when uncertain about an issue.

Zaller’s RAS Model

A model explaining public opinion formation where individuals receive, accept, and sample information to form opinions.

Representative Sampling

A sampling method where each part of a larger population has an equal chance of being selected for a survey.

Random Digit Dialing

A polling method that uses randomly generated phone numbers to reach both listed and unlisted households.

Cognitive Dissonance

A psychological concept describing the tension experienced when holding conflicting beliefs or values.

Social Desirability Bias

The tendency of respondents to answer questions in a manner that will be viewed favorably by others.

Confirmation Bias

The tendency to interpret new evidence as confirmation of one’s existing beliefs or theories.

Political Partisanship

A strong adherence to the interests of a political party, often indicating opposition to other parties.

Nonresponse Bias

A bias introduced in survey results when individuals opted not to respond.