AP Government & Politics - Unit 4 Vocabulary

Individualism

A core political value that individuals should be responsible for themselves and their actions

Equality of Opportunity

A core political value that emphasizes the equal rights of people to pursue life, liberty, and happiness. Does not guarantee equality of results

Free Enterprise

A core political value that the economy should have limited government interference and focus on the interactions of producers and consumers

Rule of Law

A core political value that no one is above the law, even public officials and leaders

Limited Government

A core political value that means the government should be restricted to the powers given to them in the Constitution

Political Socialization

The experiences and factors that shape an individual's political values, attitudes, and behaviors

Factors that Impact Political Socialization

Factors that impact political socialization include political ideology, generational effects, and life-cycle effects

Generational Effect

The impact of historical events on a generation

Life-Cycle Effect

The impact of the person's age and stage of life they are in

Representative Sample

A sample that reflects the same demographics of the population

Weighting

A procedure in which the survey is adjusted according to the demographics of the larger population

Sampling Error

The margin of error in a poll, which is usually calculated to + or - 3 percentage points

Random Digit Dialing

The use of telephone numbers randomly generated by a computer to select potential survey respondents. This is not as common today because most do not pick up the phone if the number is labeled as a potential spam caller

Entrance Survey

A poll conducted of people coming to an event

Exit Poll

A poll conducted outside when people are leaving

Benchmark

A survey taken at the beginning of a political campaign to gauge support for a candidate and determine which issues are important to voters

Tracking

A survey determining the level of support for a candidate or an issue throughout a campaign

Focus groups

A small group of individuals assembled for a conversation about specific issues

Inaccuracies in Polls

Caused by question order, wording of the question, importance of the issue, interaction between the pollster and the respondent, push polling, the bandwagon effect, social desirability bias, and decline in willingness to take polls

Authoritarianism

Almost total government regulation and intervention

Libertarianism

Little government regulation and intervention besides protecting private property and individual liberty

Liberalism

Liberals prefer more regulation of business and economy and more government involvement in social policy

Conservatism

Conservatives prefer less regulation of business and economy and less government involvement in social policy

Democrats

Align with liberalism

Republicans

Align with conservatism

Fiscal Policy

Controlled by Congress, the use of taxes and government spending to influence the economy

Keynesian Economics

Favored more by Democrats, and the amount of action by the government depends on the state of the economy

Supply-Side Economics

Favored more by Republicans and emphasizes the role of supply in economic growth. They prefer to keep taxes low so people spend more money and help the economy

Monetary Policy

Controlled by the "Fed" and uses money from the Federal Reserve

The Fed

Monitors monetary policy

Abortion

The medical termination of a pregnancy, liberals support it, conservatives do not

Gun Control

Controversial issue involving regulations surrounding firearm ownership and use, liberals support more gun control, but conservatives don't

Affirmative Action

Programs aimed at increasing minority representation in education and employment, liberals support race-based affirmative action, conservatives don't

School Vouchers

Programs that use public funds for private school tuition, liberals do not support it, but conservatives do

Business Regulation

Aim to ensure consumer protection and environmental standards, liberals support more business regulation, but conservatives don't

Health Care

Programs and policies aimed at providing affordable healthcare access to all citizens, liberals support the ACA, but conservatives don't

Party Platform

A document that states a party's ideologies and stances on particular issues