Gov - Participation, polls, and ideology

public opinion

what the public thinks about a particular issue or set of issues at any point in time

scientific poll

a representative poll of randomly selected respondents with a statistically significant sample size, using neutral language

straw poll

unscientific survey used to gauge public opinion on a variety of issues and policies

exit poll

public opinion surveys used by major media pollsters to predict electoral winners with speed and precision

sampling error

The level of confidence in the findings of a public opinion poll. The more people interviewed, the more confident one can be of the results.

random sample

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

political socialization

the process by which people gain their political attitudes and opinions

gender gap

a distinctive pattern of voting behavior reflecting the differences in views between women and men

partisanship

the strong support of their party and its policy stands

bipartisanship

A policy that emphasizes a united front and cooperation between the major political parties, especially on sensitive foreign policy issues.

political ideology

a more or less consistent set of beliefs about what policies government ought to pursue

political culture

commonly shared attitudes, beliefs, and core values about how government should operate

conservative

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

liberal

A political orientation that favors a more assertive role in the redistribution of economic resources, but emphasizes individual freedom on a range of social issues.

reactionary

Ideological view that favors a return to a previous state of affairs

radical

Favoring drastic political, economic, or social reforms.

moderate

Person whose views are between conservative and liberal and may include some of both ideologies

libertarian

One who believes in limited government interference in personal and economic liberties

populist

a member or adherent of a political party seeking to represent the interests of ordinary people.

political elites

Individuals who control significant wealth, status, power, or visibility and who, consequently, have significant influence over public debates.

voting age population (VAP)

The total number of persons in the United States who are 18 years of age or older.

voting eligible population (VEP)

Used to calculate the rate of participation by dividing the number of voters by the number of people in the country who are eligible to vote rather than just of voting age.

australian ballot

a government-printed ballot of uniform dimensions to be cast in secret that many states adopted around 1890 to reduce voting fraud associated with party-printed ballots cast in public

activists

people who tend to participate in all forms of politics

voting specialists

Those who restrict their political participation to voting in elections

retrospective voting

voting for a candidate because you like his or her past actions in office

prospective voting

voting for a candidate because you favor his or her ideas for handling issues

progressive

A belief that personal freedom and solving social problems are more important than religion

orthodox

adhering to the traditional and established, especially in religion

culture war

A split in the United States reflecting differences in people's beliefs about private and public morality, and regarding what standards ought to govern individual behavior and social arrangements.

left wing

those who support varying degrees of social or political or economic change designed to promote the public welfare

right wing

those who support political or social or economic conservatism