Political Beliefs, Public Opinion, and Policy

Political socialization

The process by which people form political beliefs.

Public opinion

What the public thinks about issues or government.

Ideology

A set of beliefs about government and politics.

Liberal

Generally supports more government action in the economy and social welfare and more protection of civil liberties.

Conservative

Generally supports less government involvement in the economy traditional values and strong law and order.

Moderate

Holds middle of the road political views.

Libertarian

Supports very limited government in both economic and personal matters.

Political culture

Shared beliefs and values about government.

Political efficacy

The belief that your participation can influence government.

Public policy

A government decision on how to solve a public problem.

Fiscal policy

Government taxing and spending decisions.

Monetary policy

Federal Reserve actions that affect money supply and interest rates.

Entitlement program

A government program people receive if they meet legal qualifications.

Safety-net program

A program that helps people in financial difficulty.

Deficit

Spending more money than the government takes in during one year.

Debt

Total amount the government owes.