Unit 4:

Benchmark poll

The first poll taken in a campaign, shows the public's first impression of a candidate.

Blue states

The label given to states where the Democratic Party wins the electoral votes.

Conservative

Believe in tradition and a small, limited government, generally support order over freedom, and the Republican Party.

Dealignment

The trend for fewer citizens to claim the loyal support of the major parties.

Equality of opportunity

The belief that individuals are protected equally under the law and have equal opportunity to achieve their goals regardless of their social backgrounds.

Entitlement programs

Government programs that provide benefits to all qualified Americans, regardless of need (Social Security, Medicare).

Exit poll

Taken immediately after the voters have exited the polling stations, used to determine how an election has turned out.

Fiscal Policy

Government use of taxing, spending, and the budget to influence the economy.

Free enterprise

The belief that the government should interfere with the economic activity of the nation as little as possible.

Gender gap

A trend in US voting where women have given a slight majority edge to Democrats and men to Republicans.

Generational effect

A collective experience shared by a segment of the population that influences their political viewpoints in a similar way.

Impressionable age hypothesis

Political scientists think that most individuals form their core political views between the ages of 14 and 24.

Individualism

The belief that Americans have a high degree of individual liberty and choice over decisions in their lives.

Keynesian Economic Theory

The theory that states that federal taxation and spending levels can influence the economy.

Liberal

Believe in change and a large responsive government, generally support freedom over order, and the Democratic Party.

Libertarian

Political ideology growing in popularity in the United States, wanting to reduce the size of the government and emphasize individual liberties.

Margin of error

A positive or negative percentage attached to all polls to determine their levels of accuracy.

Means-Tested Program

Government program that provides benefits only to people with specific needs (Medicaid, EITC, Food Stamps, TANF).

Monetary Policy

Conducted by the Federal Reserve, government control of the money supply to stimulate economic growth.

Platform

A list of issues that each state party group and the national parties draw up, outlining what they would like to address if voted into office.

Polarization

The recent trend of the American public and American politicians moving away from the political center.

Political Culture

Overall set of values widely shared within American society, common political beliefs.

Political events

External events that shape someone's party identification or views on the government.

Political Ideology

Coherent set of values and beliefs about what policies the government ought to pursue.

Political Socialization

The process through which an individual acquires his/her political orientations, influenced by family, education, peer groups, and the mass media.

Poll

A sampling of opinions, political affiliations, or voting patterns used to predict outcomes or trends.

Public Opinion

How the population feels about specific policies, issues, and situations in government, measured mainly through polling.

Random sampling

Based on the idea that a small sample of the population selected randomly can represent the whole population.

Red states

Label given to states where the Republican Party generally wins.

Representative Sample

To be accurate, a poll must represent the overall population, avoiding selection bias.

Rule of law

The belief that the law applies to each individual equally and that everyone can be held accountable for their actions.

Sample

The group of people asked questions in a public opinion poll.

Split-Ticket Voting

The practice of voting for people from both parties for different elected positions in the same election.

Supply-side economics

The belief that the government can stimulate economic growth by reducing taxes and regulations.

Tracking poll

A poll repeated at regular intervals to measure trends over time.