American Political Ideologies and Beliefs Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering topics 4.1 to 4.3 on American Political Ideologies, Core Values, Socialization, and Generational and Lifecycle Changes.

Political Culture

Shared democratic values that can coexist with conflict over their meaning.

Individualism

A core value centered on personal autonomy, rights, and self-reliance.

Equality of Opportunity

A core American value seeking a meaningful chance to succeed without unfair barriers and ensuring fair access.

Free Enterprise

An economic and political value characterized by private ownership and competitive markets within public rules.

Rule of Law

The principle that both citizens and government officials are subject to known laws.

Limited Government

A system where constitutional structures and individual rights restrict government power.

Equality of Outcome

A concept of equality that focuses on the distribution of final results rather than fair access and removal of barriers.

Political Socialization

A lifelong, interactive process through which individuals form their political beliefs and values.

Globalization

The process through which trade, migration, media, security, and institutions move ideas across international borders.

Generational Effects

Long-lasting political patterns created when a age cohort shares formative historical conditions such as wars, recessions, or social movements.

Lifecycle Effects

Shifts in policy priorities and political concerns that occur as people pass through different stages of life, such as education, employment, family formation, and retirement.

Impressionable-Age Hypothesis

The theory that major events occurring in late adolescence and early adulthood have an outsized, lasting influence on political beliefs.

Silent Generation

A cohort whose formative context includes the Great Depression, World War II, and the early Cold War.

Baby Boomers

A cohort whose formative context includes postwar economic growth, civil rights movements, and the Vietnam War.

Generation X

A cohort whose formative context includes the late Cold War, economic change, and the expansion of cable media.

Millennials

A cohort whose formative context includes digital growth, the events of 9/11, and the Great Recession.