AP Gov Unit 4 Vocab

Political Culture

The set of shared beliefs, customs, traditions, and values that define the relationship between citizens and government.

Individualism

A belief in the fundamental worth and importance of the individual; emphasizes personal responsibility and self

Laissez

Faire or Free Enterprise

Rule of Law

The principle that no one, including public officials, is above the law; laws are applied equally and fairly to all citizens.

Political Socialization

The process by which individuals develop their political beliefs and opinions, influenced by family, media, education, and other factors.

Political Ideology

A consistent set of beliefs about the role of government and public policy.

Generational Effect

The impact of historical events experienced by a generation upon their political views.

Life

Cycle Effect

Globalization

The increasing interconnectedness of people, businesses, and countries throughout the world.

Outsourcing

The practice of having work or services done in another country to cut company costs at home.

Focus Group

A small group of individuals assembled to participate in a guided discussion about a particular topic or issue.

Scientific Poll

A poll that defines a population, makes a sample, and constructs unbiased questions to ensure accuracy.

Sample

A subset of the population selected to participate in a poll.

Random Selection

A method of selecting a sample in which every individual has an equal probability of being chosen.

Representative Sample

A sample that reflects the demographics of the population being studied.

Weighting

Adjusting the results of a survey according to the demographics of the population.

Sampling Error

The margin of error in a poll, which indicates how much the results may differ from the actual opinions of the population.

Mass Survey

A way to measure public opinion by interviewing a large sample of the population.

Entrance Survey

A poll conducted of people coming to an event, such as a political rally or voting location.

Exit Poll

A poll conducted of people leaving a voting place, asking how they voted.

Benchmark Poll

An initial poll on a candidate and issues on which campaign strategy is based and against which later polls are compared.

Tracking Poll

Continuous surveys that enable a campaign to chart its daily rise or fall in support.

Random Digit Dialing

A polling method in which phone numbers are randomly generated to select a sample.

Question Order

The sequence of questions in a poll, which can influence responses.

Question

Wording

Right

A legal entitlement to have or obtain something or to act in a certain way.

Privilege

A special right or advantage granted to a particular person or group.

Party Ideology

A party’s philosophy about the proper role of government and its set of positions on major issues.

Party Identification

An individual’s attachment to a political party.

Conservatism

An ideology favoring more control of social behavior, fewer regulations on businesses, and less government interference in the economy.

Liberalism

An ideology favoring less government control over social behavior and greater regulation of businesses and the economy.

Libertarianism

An ideology favoring very little government regulation and intervention beyond protecting private property and individual liberty.

Laissez

Faire Economy

Command and Control Economy

An economic system in which the government dictates much of a nation’s economic activity, including the amount of production and price for goods.

Mixed Economy

An economic system in which many economic decisions are left to individuals and businesses, with the government regulating economic activity.

Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

The total value of goods produced and services provided in a country during one year.

Economic Recession

A period of economic decline typically defined by two consecutive quarters of negative GDP growth.

Unemployment Rate

The percentage of the labor force that is jobless and actively seeking employment.

Inflation

The rate at which the general level of prices for goods and services is rising.

Consumer Price Index (CPI)

A measure of the average change over time in the prices paid by consumers for a market basket of goods and services.

Fiscal Policy

Government policy that attempts to manage the economy by controlling taxing and spending.

Federal Reserve System

The central banking system of the United States, which regulates the nation's monetary policy.

Monetary Policy

Government policy that attempts to manage the economy by controlling the money supply and interest rates.

Medicare

A federal program that provides health insurance to people over 65 and certain younger people with disabilities.

Medicaid

A federal and state program that helps with medical costs for some people with limited income and resources.

Valence Issue

An issue about which the public is united and rival candidates or political parties adopt similar positions in hopes that each will be thought to best represent those widely shared beliefs.

Wedge Issue

A controversial issue that one party uses to split the voters in the other party.

Saliency

The degree to which an issue is important to a particular individual or group.