The Politics of Public Opinion - Vocabulary Flashcards

Flashcards cover key terms and definitions related to how public opinion is formed, measured, and interpreted in politics and polling.

Public opinion

A collection of popular views about something, gathered from individuals’ beliefs and attitudes and analyzed by politicians, media, and campaigns to inform decisions.

Beliefs

Closely held ideas that support our values and expectations about life and politics.

Attitudes

Preferences formed from beliefs and life experiences that influence how we feel about people, events, and government.

Norms

Accepted ideas about what should happen in society, forming the groundwork for opinions and behavior.

Political socialization

The process by which people learn about politics and develop their political beliefs and identities, beginning in childhood.

Diffuse support

A general, stable support for the legitimacy of the government and its institutions.

Value statements

Poll questions that measure what respondents value, used to track long-term changes in beliefs.

Ideology

A system of beliefs and attitudes that shapes how people view politics and policy; positioned on a left–right spectrum.

Liberalism (modern liberalism)

Left-leaning ideology prioritizing equality and often supporting government intervention to promote social welfare.

Conservatism (modern conservatism)

Right-leaning ideology prioritizing tradition, order, and often limited government intervention in the economy.

Fascism

An extreme right ideology advocating total government control over politics, economy, and society.

Authoritarianism

A political system or belief in strong central power with limited political freedoms.

Libertarianism

A philosophy advocating minimal government intervention and strong protection of individual rights.

Communism

A system of common ownership of property and means of production, with the state directing economic activity.

Socialism

A system in which the government provides extensive social and economic programs to promote equality.

Capitalism

An economic system based on private property, markets, and voluntary exchange.

Command economy

An economy in which the government controls production, prices, and distribution.

Laissez-faire

An economic philosophy favoring minimal government interference in the economy.

Guns vs butter

The budget trade-off between spending on defense (guns) and domestic social programs (butter).

Heuristics

Mental shortcuts or cues voters use to make quick judgments, such as party ID.

Party identification (party ID)

A voter’s self-identified allegiance to a political party, often guiding decisions in elections.

Demographic cues

Information like age, race, gender, and SES that influence political opinions and choices.

Framing

The way information is presented to shape how people perceive an issue or event.

Gatekeeping

Media control over what information is presented and how it is framed.

Covert content

Political information presented as neutral or factual but with hidden ideological aims.

Overt content

Directly ideological or biased political messaging presented as fact.

Exit polls

polls conducted at polling locations as voters leave, used to predict outcomes and sometimes affect turnout.

Push polls

Polls designed to influence opinions by using leading questions or negative information.

Random sampling

A method where every member of the population has an equal chance of being selected.

Representative sampling

A sample whose demographic makeup mirrors the population being studied.

Margin of error

A measure of how much poll results may differ from the true population value.

Random-digit-dialing (RDD)

A technique that generates random telephone numbers for surveys, including cell numbers.

CATI (computer-assisted telephone interviewing)

Telephone interviews where interviewers input responses directly into a computer.

Robo-polls

Fully automated polls with prerecorded questions and no human interviewer.