Unit 4 Vocab

political culture

the dominant set of beliefs, customs, traditions, and values that define the relationship between citizens and government

individualism

the belief that individuals should be responsible for themselves and for the decisions they make

laissez-faire or free enterprise

an economic system in which government intrudes as little as possible in the economic transactions among citizens and business

rule of law

the principle that no one, including public officials, is above the law

political socialization

the experiences and factors that shape an individual’s political values, attitudes, and behaviors

political ideology

an individual’s coherent set of beliefs about government and politics

generational effect

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

life-cycle effect

the impact of a person’s age and stage in life on his or her political views.

globalization

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

outsourcing

when a company moves its business to a place where labor costs are cheaper or production is more efficient because workers work longer hours

public opinion

the sum of individual attitudes about government, policies, and issues

focus group

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

scientific poll

a representative poll of randomly selected respondents with a statistically significant sample size, using neutral language.

sample

a group of individuals from a larger population used to measure public opinion.

random selection

a method of choosing all poll respondents in a way that does not over or underrespresent any group of the population

representative sample

a sample that reflects the 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 usually is calculated to plus or minus three percentage points

mass survey

a survey designed to measure the opinions of the population, usually consisting of 1,500 responses

entrance survey

a poll conducted of people coming to an event

exit poll

a survey conducted outside a polling place in which individuals are asked who or what they just voted for and why

benchmark poll

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

tracking poll

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

random digit dialing

the use of telephone numbers randomly generated by computer to select potential survey respondents

question order

the sequencing of questions in public opinion polls

question wording

the phrasing of question in a public opinion poll

political ideology

a set of beliefs about the desired goals and outcomes of a process of governance

right

something guaranteed, that the government cannot take away

privilege

something a person may obtain or receive, but that the government can take away.

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

ab ideology favoring more control of social behavior, fewer regulations on business, and less government interference in the economy

liberalism

an ideology favoring less government control over social behavior and more greater regulation of businesses and of the economy

libertarianism

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

laissez-faire economy

economic policy in which governments intrude as little as possible in the economic transactions between citizens and businesses

command-and-control economy

economy policy I which government dictates much of a nation’s economic activity, including the amount of production and price for good

mixed economy

economic policy 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 and services produced by an economy

economic recession

a period of decline in economic activity, typically defined by two consecutive quarters of negative GDP growth

unemployment rate

the percentage of people actively looking for work who cannot find jobs

inflation

the rise in the prices of goods and services

consumer price index (CPI)

the cost of a fixed basket of goods and services over time, used to measure the cost of living

fiscal policy

government use of taxes and spending to attempt to lower unemployment, support economic growth, and stabilize the economy

Federal Reserve System

a board of governors, Federal Reserve Banks, and member banks responsible for monetary policy

monetary policy

a set of economic policy tools designed to regulate the amount of money in the economy

Medicare

a federal program that provides health insurance to seniors and the disabled

Medicaid

a federal program that provides health care for the poor