AP Government Unit 4

The 5 Core American Values

Individualism, equality of opportunity, free enterprise, rule of law, limited government

Individualism

Each person is responsible for himself, free to do what he chooses to do

equality of opportunity

Each person has an opportunity to succeed, however equality of outcome is not guaranteed

Free enterprise

An economic system based mostly on markets and freedom of people to choose what to buy and sell

Rule of law

No person is above the law

Limited Government

Governmental power is limited by the Constitution

Political socialization

The process of a person obtaining their political ideology; family/parents, peers, education, media, religion all sources

Globalization

U.S. political culture has both influenced and been influenced by the values of other countries

Generational effects

Different voting patterns and political beliefs for people in different generations

Lifecycle effects

People focus on different issues at different points in life

Major political events

Occur especially during young adulthood and can influence political attitudes and beliefs

Opinion poll

Poll to measure public opinion on a particular issue

Benchmark poll

Used to find out where a candidate stands before any campaigning, strengths, weaknesses, what issues to focus on

Tracking poll

A continuous poll to track opinion over time

Entrance/exit poll

Taken as people enter/exit polling places on election day; used to predict election outcome, to gain insight into voter behavior, and to analyze how different demographic groups voted

Random Sample

All persons in the population have an equal chance of being selected

Stratified sample

Population that is divided into subgroups and weighted based on population demographics

Wording of question

Must be neutral/unbiased

Type and format of question

Open/ended, multiple choice, answer choices, etx., can affect poll results

Conservative

Less economic regulation, lower taxes

Liberal

More economic regulation, higher taxes on those with higher incomes

Libertarian

Little or no regulation beyond the protection of property rights, minimal taxation

Conservative government spending

Cut government spending on entitlement programs (welfare) to promote social and economic equality

Liberal government spending

Favor government spending on entitlement programs to promote social and economic equality

Libertarian government spending

Dramatic decrease in government spending, including on entitlement programs

Conservative view of Military, crime, and punishment

Increased defense spending, more police, more punishment of crime

Liberal view of Military, crime, and punishment

Decreased defense spending, protecting the rights of the accused

Libertarian view of Military, crime, and punishment

Favor a dramatic reduction in defense spending, decriminalization of "victimless" crimes and protecting rights of the accused

Conservative view of privacy and social freedoms

Government should protect traditional values even if this intrudes on individual freedoms

Liberal view of privacy and social freedoms

Believe government should not regulate personal and private matters

Libertarian view of privacy and social freedoms

Believe government should not regulate private and personal matters

Conservative view of education and religion

Support vouchers to attend private schools, including religious schools

Liberal view of education and religion

Support public education, oppose vouchers, especially those that can be used to attend religious schools

Libertarian education and religion

Favor privatization of education, expanded school choice

Conservative view of liberty and order

Favor social order

Liberal and libertarian view of liberty and order

Favor social liberty

Keynesian economics

Government should stimulate the economy during recessions (high unemployment/low GDP) by spending money to encourage economic growth

Supply-side economics

Government should stimulate the economy during recessions by cutting taxes to encourage businesses to grow and taxpayers to spend more money

Free market economics

Government's role is to protect property rights; government should not actively attempt to stimulate the economy

Monetary policy

Controlling the money supply and interest rates to stabilize the economy; money supply and interest rates are inversely related

Federal Reserve

An independent regulatory agency in charge of monetary policy

Lower unemployment

Increase the money supply and lower interest rates

Lower inflation

Decrease the money supply and raise interest rates

President foreign formal powers

Treaties and Executive Agreements

War Powers Act of 1973

In 1973, Congress passed this law which requires that soldiers sent into military action overseas by the President be brought back within sixty days unless Congress approves the action.

Congressional foreign policy powers

power to declare war, power to appropriate money, power to confirm treaties and appointments

State Department

handles relations with other nations

NAFTA

North American Free Trade Agreement; allows open trade with US, Mexico, and Canada.

Cuban Embargo

An embargo imposed on Cuban in 1960 on all exports except food medicine after Cuban nationalized American-oil refineries.

ambassador

an official representative of the United States appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate to represent the nation in matters of diplomacy

Department of Defense (DOD)

This department provides the military that defends our country. It includes the Army, Navy, and Air Force.

National Security Council

An office created in 1947 to coordinate the president's foreign and military policy advisers.

Smoot-Hawley Tariff

A high tariff enacted in 1930 during the Great Depression. By taxing imported goods, Congress hoped to stimulate American manufacturing, but the tariff triggered retaliatory tariffs in other countries, which further hindered global trade and led to greater economic contraction.

United Nations (UN)

an organization of independent states formed in 1945 to promote international peace and security

public opinion

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

NIMBY

"refers to the idea that, while people may be aware of the necessity of some unpleasant realities, such as prisons, landfills, or chemical plants, they insist theses place be located away from where they live"- NOT IN MY BACK YARD

domestic policy/affairs

the set of decisions that a government makes relating to things that directly affect the people in its own country

FDA (Food and Drug Administration)

an agency in charge of ensuring the safety of all foods sold except meat, poultry, and seafood

EPA

an independent federal agency established to coordinate programs aimed at reducing pollution and protecting the environment

Department of Homeland Security

US federal agency created in 2002 to coordinate national efforts against terrorism

entitlement programs

Government benefits that certain qualified individuals are entitled to by law, regardless of need.

Rachel Carson

United States biologist remembered for her opposition to the use of pesticides that were hazardous to wildlife (1907-1964)

Department of Energy

the federal department responsible for maintaining a national energy policy of the United States

fiscal policy

Government policy that attempts to manage the economy by controlling taxing and spending.

monetary policy

Government policy that attempts to manage the economy by controlling the money supply and thus interest rates.

discretionary spending

Federal spending on programs that are controlled through the regular budget process

"American Dream"

The widespread belief that the United States is a land of opportunity and that individual initiative and hard work can bring economic success.

Adam Smith

Scottish economist who wrote the Wealth of Nations a precursor to modern Capitalism.

Labor Unions

An organization formed by workers to strive for better wages and working conditions

Corporate Lobbying

happens when companies support certain legislative procedures as these will benefit them

"Alphabet Soup"

Term used to refer to the group of New Deal programs created to provide "Relief, Reform, and Recovery" for American citizens, banks, and businesses during the Great Depression.

supply-side economics

An economic theory, first applied during the Reagan administration, holding that the key task for fiscal policy is to stimulate the supply of goods, as by cutting tax rates.

Federal Reserve System

The country's central banking system, which is responsible for the nation's monetary policy by regulating the supply of money and interest rates-by increasing and reducing the money supply

Mandatory Spending

government spending on certain programs that are mandated by law

Regulatory Agencies

Administrative units, such as the Federal Communications Commission and the Environmental Protection Agency, that have responsibility for the monitoring and regulation of ongoing economic activities.

political socialization

the process by which people gain their political attitudes and opinions

Liberal Political Ideology

Favors a limited state role in society and the economy and places a high priority on individual political and economic freedom

Conservative Political Ideology

the belief that the government should play a limited role in citizens' lives; also the belief in "traditional family values" and what is viewed as a moral lifestyle

Libertarianism

An ideology that cherishes individual liberty and insists on minimal government, promoting a free market economy, a noninterventionist foreign policy, and an absence of regulation in moral, economic, and social life.

Populists

A party made up of farmers and laborers that wanted direct election of senators, 8hr working day and opposed tariffs

straw poll

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

push polls

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

random sampling

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

quota sampling

A nonprobability sampling technique in which researchers divide the population into groups and then arbitrarily choose participants from each group

stratified sampling

A type of probability sampling in which the population is divided into fourths with a common attribute and a random sample is chosen within each group