AP Gov Unit 4 Vocab

Public Opinion

The distribution of the population's beliefs about politics and policy issues

Poll

A question asked to a group of people to get a sample of people

Random Sample

A sample that fairly represents a population because each member has an equal chance of inclusion

Representative Sample

A sample or subgroup of the population that possesses the same characteristics of the population

Straw Poll

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

Sampling Error

The difference between a sample result and the true result if the entire population had been interviewed.

Exit Polls

Polls based on interviews conducted on Election Day with randomly selected voters

Political Socialization

Complex process by which people get their sense of political identity, beliefs, and values (family, school, media, religion, national events-all help to socialize)

Gender Gap

Difference in political views between men and women

Political Ideology

A consistent pattern of beliefs about political values and the role of government.

Liberal

A person whose views favor more govt involvemnt in business, social welfare, minority rights, &increased govt spending

Conservative

A person who believes government power, particularly in the economy, should be limited in order to maximize individual freedom.

Middle America

A phrase coined by Joseph Kraft in a 1968 newspaper column to refer to Americans who have moved out of poverty but are not yet affluent and who cherish traditional middle-class values.

Silent Majority

A phrase used to describe people, whatever their economic status, who uphold traditional values, especially against the counterculture of the 1960s

Socio-Economic Status

A person's position in society as determined by income, wealth, occupation, education, place of residence, and other factors

Christian Coalition

conservative religious group in the 1990s that attracted an enormous amount of media attention and became a prominent force in many national, state, and local elections

Quota Sample

A sample deliberately constructed to reflect several of the major characteristics of a given population

Focus Groups

A group interview technique that obtains data through discussion between research participants in a group setting.

Push Polls

Polls taken for the purpose of providing information on an opponent that would lead respondents to vote against that candidate.

Bandwagon Effect

A shift in electoral support to the candidate whom public opinion polls report as the front-runner.

Activist

Individuals, usually outside of the government, who actively promote a political party, philosophy, or issue they care about.

Campaigners

Those who both vote in elections and get involved in campaigns

Democrats

Political party lead by Andrew Jackson from 1828 to 1856. Campaigned against strong central government and fought to end elitism.

15th Amendment

Citizens cannot be denied the right to vote because of race, color , or precious condition of servitude

26th Amendment

Lowered the voting age from 21 to 18

24th Amendment

Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (1964) eliminated the poll tax as a prerequisite to vote in national elections.

23rd Amendment

Gave residents of Washington DC the right to vote

Voter Apathy

The lack of interest among the citizenry in participating in elections.

Voting Rights Act of 1970

A law designed to help end formal and informal barriers to African American suffrage. Under the law, hundreds of thousands of African Americans were registered and the number of African American elected officials increased dramatically.

Voting Specialists

Those who restrict their political participation to voting in elections

White Primaries

A southern expedient to keep blacks from participating in primary elections

19th Amendment

Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (1920) extended the right to vote to women in federal or state elections.

Poll Tax

A tax of a fixed amount per person and payable as a requirement for the right to vote

Inactives

Those who avoid all forms of political participation

Literacy Tests

Method used to deny African-Americans the vote in the South that tested a person's ability to read and write

Republicans

The political party opposing the Democrats. They want less government involvement in everything except taxes

Grandfather Clause

A clause that allows someone to continue an action if their grandparents were allowed to

Registered Voters

People who are registered to vote

Motor-Voter Law

A bill passed by Congress in 1993 to make it easier for Americans to register to vote by allowing them to register when they get their driver's liscence

Voting-Age Population

Citizens who are eligible to vote after reaching the minimum age requirement

Voting-Eligible Population

An estimate number of people who can vote excluding felons, prisoners, and aliens

Parochial Participants

Those who avoid elections and civic organizations but will contact officials regarding specific problems.