AP Gov. Unit 4: American Political Ideologies and Beliefs

How do demographics, political culture, and dynamic social change shape citizens beliefs about government, and how are those beliefs measured?

Conservative

supports traditional values, limited government, and individual freedom

Liberal

rule of law, representative democracy, protection of individual rights and liberties, social justice, and government action to address inequalities.

Political Culture

commonly shared attitudes, beliefs, and core values about how government should operate.

Individualism

fundamental worth and importance of the individual

Equality of Opportunity

based on merit, whoever is most qualified

Free Enterprise

economic system, private business operate in competition and largely free of state control

Rule of Law

No one is above the law

Limited Government

government actions are limited due to the constitution, to protect individual rights and prevent tyranny.

Ideology

comprehensive and mutually consistent set of ideas.

Valence Issues

political issues on which voters share a common preference

Wedge Issues

political issues that create deep divisions and disagreement among the public

Salience

level of importance an issue has to an individual group

Libertarian

advocates for civil liberties and little government regulation

Populist

appeals to the common person, often against a perceived elite. people v. elite

Progressive

advocates for social and political reform, through government intervention (inequality, corruption, social injustice)

Political Socialization

life-long process by which you develop political beliefs

Kitchen Table Politics

political issues that directly impact daily lives of ordinary families (healthcare, food prices, gas costs)

Party Identification

individuals sense of attachment to a political party

Media

ways to communicate to the public, link between government and people (watch dog)

Political Events= Influence

major occurrences with a significant impact on political ideology and behavior

Globalization

process of an ever-expanding and increasingly interactive world economy

Global Identification

how individuals are influenced by factors beyond their own nation’s due to the interconnections.

Millennial

1977-200

Generation X

1965-1976 (birth death)

Baby Boomers

WWI- 1960

The Silent Generation

great depression- WWII

Lifecycle Effects

variety of physical, social, and psychological changes that people go through as the age

American Association of Retired Persons

nonpartisan, nonprofit interest group that advocates for individual aged 50 and over

Benchmark Polls

first type of information gathering about people views and concerns

Tracking Polls

people are asked the same/similar questions over time to measure public opinion changes

Entrance Polls

survey conducted before voters cast their ballots, asking who they plan to vote for and other info.

Exit Polls

taken after voters have cast their ballots

Focus Group

small group of citizens gathered to hold conversations about issues or candidates

Approval Ratings

percentage of public that approves of political figure, policy, or institution, as measured by opinion polls.

Phrasing

specific wording of a question, which can significantly impact public opinion responses

Order

societal stability maintained through laws and government

Framing

the way media or politicians present an issue to influence how the public perceives it

Representative Sample

smaller group of people selected from a larger population that accurately reflects characteristics of that population

Universe

total population or group of people that a poll or stud intends to represent

Random Sample

polling process that ensures that there is an equal chance of selection into the sample

Random-Digit Sample

method of sampling where telephone numbers are generated randomly to select a surgery sample

Weighting

making sure demographic groups are properly represented

Stratification

statistical method used to ensure specific subgroups within a population are adequately represent in a sample

Margin of Error 

a measure of the accuracy of a public opinion poll

Sampling Error

difference between poll results

Push Polling

uses loaded questions to influence voters' opinions under the guise of a survey.

Horse Racing

election coverage that focuses on the competition aspects of a campaign-like polls, fundraising, and who’s winning, rather than candidates policy positions.

Bandwagon Effect

a shift of support to a candidate or position holding the lead in public opinion polls

Influence on Policy Debate

various factors that shape and affect discussions and decisions about government policy which measures citizens view.

Social-Desirability Bias

tendency of survey respondents to answer questions in a way that will be viewed favorably by others

Undecided Breaking Late

voters who are undecided until the last minute, swayed by factors like late-breaking news, etc

Non-Responsive Bias

when survey results are skewed due to unrepresentative sample of the population

Opinions in Social Media

how social media platforms are used to express and measure public opinion on political issues

Biased Pollsters and Data v. Facts

(un/in)intentionally skewed polls due to flawed methodology

National Council on Public Polls (NCPP)

organization that promotes ethical standards in public opinion polling and has denounced unethical practices.

Party Platform

list of principles and plans a political party hopes to enact

Democratic Party Platform

liberal, supports greater government intervention for social and economic equality

Republican Party Platform

values limited government intervention and emphasizes individual responsibility

Libertarian Party Platform

liberty for individuals in both personal and economic matters, minimal government (drug laws, personal choices)

Majoritarian Policymaking

policies are created based on the will/preferences of the majority of the population

Interest Group Policymaking

how organized groups of individuals use various strategies to influence public policy without running for office

Balancing Liberty and Order

ongoing challenge of protecting individual freedoms while maintaining social stability and public safety

Agenda

list of potential policy ideas, bills, or plans to improve society

Sin Tax

excise tax on a specific good or service to discourage it consumption and generate revenue for government

Keynesian Economics

economic theory advocating for government intervention to stabilize the economy

Fiscal Policy

part of economic policy that is concerned with government spending and taxation

Multiplier Effect

initial change in autonomous sending

Supply-side Economics

the government should leave as much of the money supple with the people, allowing the laws of marketplace to govern the market

Revenue

income a government receives primarily from taxes to fund its public

Pollock v. Farmers’ Loan and Trust (1892)

established a precedent about the division of taxing powers between the federal government and the states

16th Amendment (1913)

grants congress the power to collect taxes on income from any source without apportioning them among the states based on population, provided the federal government with a new and substantial revenue stream, which has been used to fund various federal programs and respond to economic needs.

Internal Revenue Service

responsible for administering and enforcing the federal tax laws enacted by Congress

Progressive Tax

tax rate increases as a persons income increases

Flat Tax

citizens are taxed at the same rate

Tax as Social Policy

how government uses taxes to address social needs l

Spending

government spending on goods, services, and programs

Monetary Policy

how the government manages the supply and demand of its currency and thus the value of the dollar

Inflation

economic cycle involving a rise in prices and devaluation of the dollar

Federal Reserve Board

sets monetary policy by buying and selling securities of bonds, etc.

Bonds

certifications of debt that carry a promise to buy back the bonds at a higher price

Discount Rate

the interest rate at which the government loans actual dollars to commercial banks

Reserve Requirement

the amount of money that the feds require commercial bank to have in their vaults

Independent and Stability

the government ability to maintain order in the country

Milton Friedman

influential economist and leading advocate of free-market capitalism, minimal government intervention, and monetarism

Alan Greenspan

promoted the idea of free trade and condemned government regulation and socialism

Trade Balance

difference between the monetary value of a nations exports and inports over a specific period

North American Free Trade Agreement

agreement to eliminate most traffic and trade barries, promoting economic integration

Social Welfare

support for disadvantaged people to meet their basic needs

Mandatory spending

government expenditure that are required by law and not subject to annual appropriations

Entitlements

government services Congress has promised by law to citizens

Third Rail

signifies that any political issue risks political death or losing election

Social Security Act of 1935

a safety net for Americans ensuring citizen welfare and economic security

Means Test

process used to determine an individuals eligibility for government assistance programs

Medicare

federal health program for people aged 65 and older

Medicaid

federal/state health program that provides health coverage to low-income families and individuals

Reaganomics

economic policy of president, included tax cuts, deregulation, and reduced government spending to stimulate economic growth

Patient Protection and Affordable Care

a federal law enacted in 2010 to improve healthcare access and affordability

Wagner Act

guarantees employees the right to form and join unions

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

federal government to set and enforce safety standards in nearly all workplaces

Griswold v. Connecticut

established a constitutional right to privacy, ruling constitution protects the liberty of married couples to contraception