AP Gov- American Political ideologies and beliefs

political ideology

Fiscal policy

The decisions that the government makes to spend/tax the economy. How much money to spend and on what?

Monetary policy

The decisions the government makes about how much money to be in economy. Controlled by federal reserve. How much money in economy?

Federal reserve

The central bank of the US. in charge of..

• buying and selling government bonds

• setting reserve requirements

• setting interest rates

Liberal ideology in economy compared to other ideologies

More government intervention to keep economy healthy —> big spenders of fiscal policy. reasoning from keynesian economics

Keynesian economics

Keynesian Economics is an economic theory developed by John Maynard Keynes, which advocates for increased government expenditures and lower taxes to stimulate demand and pull the global economy out of a recession.

basically: Government spending 

Conservative ideology in economy compared to other ideologies 

Less government intervention, trust in free market. Less spending in fiscal policy. reasoning from supply-side theory. 

Supply-side theory

Supply-side economics is an economic theory that emphasizes boosting economic growth by increasing the supply of goods and services. This approach advocates for lower taxes and deregulation as ways to stimulate production, which in turn is believed to lead to job creation, increased investment, and overall economic expansion. It connects to broader ideological beliefs about the role of government in the economy and reflects a preference for free-market policies over interventionist approaches.

basically: Support businesses

General conservative approach to monetary policy

Using monetary policy to stabilize economy

General Liberal approach to monetary policy

Monetary policy too slow for real change

Libertarian ideology

least government intervention as possible. Only want government to protect personal property and ensure nothing hinders individual liberty

Key values of Americans

• Individualism

• equality of opportunity 

• free enterprise

• rule of law

• limited government

Most Americans believe in these values, but have different interpretations (ex. Liberal Vs Conservative)

Political socialization 

The process through which individuals acquire their political beliefs and values, often influenced by family, education, and cultural factors.

Political culture

The set of shared values, beliefs, and norms that shape the political behavior and attitudes of a society.

Equality of opportunity

Everyone has the same opportunity to make it big in the US as long as they work hard, but no value is placed on the equality of the outcomes. Hard work and innovation is rewarded.
ex. Affirmative action

Free enterprise

Mixed economy in the US, limited social/economic services in the US. Capitalism yeahh

Rule of law

No one is above the law, all citizens must abide the law (including the president and the big guys), judiciary protects rule of law, enhanced when gov is transparent 

Religious organizations role in political ideologies

Churches influence political socialization via their doctrinal positions on issues, services, and social interactions in a congregation 

civic organizations role in political ideologies

These have people working towards a common good. Civic engagement allows people to get organizing, public speaking, and interacting with government officials.

Generational effect

Historical events can impact a generation on their political views.

ex. 9/11 fostered a period of patriotism and unity 

Life cycle effect

A person’s age will impact their political views

the formation and modification of beliefs in politics is a ________ process

Lifelong everchanging

General liberal approach to healthcare policies

More government interference and mandate people to get insurance (ex. Affordable care act (ACA))

General conservative approach to healthcare policies

Less government intervention, healthcare is subject to economic and market forces, people should make their own decision to purchase insurance or not.

(ex. Opposed ACA)

General liberal approach to school choice competition

Opposed cuz believe money is drained from traditional public schools that need funds the most, tax dollars used to support religious schools violate the 1st amendment.

General conservative approach to school choice competition

support school choice vouchers, makes schools compete for students (they really like stuff that encourage economic growth)

ACA

AKA obama care, requires everyone to buy health insurance

medicare

healthcare to elderly and disabled

school choice programs/vouchers

market incentives to encourage competition between schools.

Conservatism

Conservatism is a political ideology that emphasizes tradition, social stability, and maintaining established institutions. It advocates for gradual change rather than radical transformation, valuing the importance of historical context and cultural heritage in shaping society. This ideology often aligns with a preference for limited government intervention in the economy and prioritizes individual liberties within a framework of societal norms.

Liberalism

Liberalism is a political ideology that emphasizes individual freedoms, equality, and democratic governance. It advocates for the protection of civil rights and liberties, the promotion of social justice, and the belief in a government that is accountable to its citizens. This ideology significantly influences the platforms of political parties and shapes changes in public policy and governance over time. A key tenet of liberalism is the belief in limited government intervention in personal lives while supporting regulation in the economy to protect consumers and workers.

Polls

Main way to measure public opinion, it asks what the people believe and get their answers. Information from polls very important for elections and policy debates

if a poll is created with scientific rigor, then it is the best tool for measuring public opinion. Process includes:

• writing questions that are free from bias as possible

• presenting questions to a small, randomized group of people

• generalizing results to the larger population

Types of polls

• opinion poll

• benchmark poll

• tracking poll

• entrance/exit polls

opinion polls

survey designed to measure the sentiments, beliefs, or attitudes of a specific population regarding various topics, including political preferences and social issues. These polls are crucial for understanding the public's viewpoint and can influence decision-making by policymakers, media coverage, and campaign strategies. The data gathered from these polls can also reflect changes in public opinion over time, making them valuable for analyzing trends and predicting future behaviors.

Helps get a feel for the public’s opinion on a certain topic or showing people’s feeling on certain candidates or policies. Candidates can make promises to the people based on what the public wants

Benchmark polls

surveys conducted to establish a baseline measurement of public opinion or sentiment on a particular issue, candidate, or topic. The primary purpose of these polls is to provide a starting point for future surveys, allowing researchers to track changes in public opinion over time.

tracking poll

conducted over time, usually with the same group of people, gives info on how the group feels about a given issue. helps candidate shape their campaign promises

Entrance/Exit polls

Conducted at voting sites that ask people how they voted. Most desirable because they measure opinions from actual voters

How to make good polls

• Samples need to be representative 

• Samples need to be random- % of samples need to match % of population

• asking neutral questions 

Sampling error

Theres always a chance that the sample will not exactly represent the general population. A good/representative poll has a ±3 sampling error

Ways for Pollsters to measure public opinion

• Mass survey 

• Focus groups

Mass surveys

better for measuring quantitive data. When pollsters make questionnaire given to as much people as possible

Focus group

Better for measuring qualitative data. When pollsters make questionnaire for a small group. Not classified as scientific polling bc their opinions cannot be generalized to the larger population, but still useful for candidates

Public opinion polls can have a ____ effect on the outcome of a election, and _______

powerful, policy debate

The relationship between public opinion polls and elections and policy debates can be affected by how people view the ____ of those opinion polls

reliability

Social desirability bias

When people filling out surveys give a socially desirable answer, even if they don’t actually agree with it

Non-response bias

Certain groups are more likely to respond to public opinion polls than others

How opinion polls can influence election outcomes

• Bandwagon effect: When polls show one candidate leading, some voters may support that candidate because they want to side with the perceived winner. This reflects how public opinion can shape voter behavior.
  

• Underdog Effect: In contrast, some voters might back the candidate who’s losing in the polls out of sympathy or a desire to support competition, showing the emotional and psychological factors in political participation.
  

• Impact on Voter Turnout: Poll results can affect political efficacy and turnout. If the polls predict a landslide, voters may feel their participation doesn’t matter and choose not to vote (lower turnout). If polls show a close race, voters may be more motivated to participate (higher turnout).
  

• Influence on Campaign Strategy: Candidates use polling data to decide where to spend money, which issues to emphasize, and which voter demographics to target — demonstrating how data shapes political strategy.
  

• Media Agenda-Setting: The media often focuses on “horse race” coverage (who’s winning) based on poll results, which can shift public focus away from policy issues and toward candidate viability and momentum.

Voter turnout

The percent of how many people voted compared to how many that could’ve voted. It serves as a crucial indicator of civic engagement and reflects the overall health of a democracy, influencing public policy and government responsiveness.

Ways that voter turnout can be affected

• structural barriers

• political efficacy

• Demographics

• type of election

Structural barrier

A policy/law that can prevent people from voting/encourage people to vote.
Ex. voter ID laws

Political efficacy

A citizen’s belief on whether their vote matters

ex. a republican thinking their vote will not matter cuz they are voting in a majority democrat state

Demographics

Certain groups of people are more likely to vote

Ex. Old people are more likely to vote

Type of election

Some types of elections are more likely to have more people voting

ex. People more likely to vote in national elections

Factors that affect a voter’s choices

• party identification/ideological orientation 

• candidate characteristics 

• political issues 

• demographic factors