Ch 12 Political Socialization, Ideology, and Public Opinion Vocab Quizlet

political culture

A set of basic values and beliefs about one's country or government that is shared by most citizens and that influences political opinions and behaviors.

individualism

individuals possess the freedom to make choices as they wish

equality of opportunity

all people should have the same opportunities to compete and achieve.

free enterprise

private businesses operate in competition and free of government control; capitalism.

rule of law

all people and institutions are subject to and accountable to law that is fairly applied and enforced.

limited government

basic principle of U.S. government that each person has rights that government cannot take away.

political socialization

complex process by which people get their sense of political identity, beliefs, and values.

opinion leaders

those individuals held in great respect because of their position, expertise, or personality, who may informally and unintentionally influence others

public opinion

a collection of shared attitudes of citizens about government, politics, and the making of public policy.

opinion poll

an assessment of public opinion by the questioning of a representative sample of the population.

benchmark

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

tracking polls

continuous surveys that enable a campaign or new organization to chart a candidate's daily rise or fall in support

entrance/exit polls

polls conducted as voters enter or leave selected polling placed on election day.

straw polls

early form of polling that asks the same question of a large number of people

sampling

using a representative cross-section of the general population chosen at random in the polling process.

sampling errors

percentage of possible errors in the polling process

ideology

a constituent set of beliefs by groups of individuals

political ideology

a consistent set of beliefs about politics and public policy that sets the framework for evaluating government and public policy.

radical

ideological view that favors rapid fundamental change in the existing social, economic, or political order.

liberal

a person whose views favor more government involvement in business, social welfare, minority rights, and increased government spending.

moderate

person whose views are between conservative and liberal and may include some of both ideologies

conservative

a person whose political views favor more local, limited government, less government regulation, and conformity to social norms and values; tough on criminals.

reactionary

ideological view that favors a return to previous state of affairs