Chapter 11 (Public Opinion) Stories of a Nation Vocabulary, Chapter 10 (American Political Culture) Stories of a Nation Vocabulary

Public Opinion

The sum of individual attitudes about government, policies, and issues.

Focus Group

A small group of individuals assembled for a conversation about a specific issue.

Scientific Poll

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

Sample

A group of individuals from a larger population used to measure public opinion.

Random Selection

A method of choosing all poll respondents in a way that does not over or underresent any group of the population.

Representative Sample

A sample that reflects the demographics of the population.

Weighting

A procedure in which the survey is adjusted according to the democratics of the larger population.

Sampling Error

The margin of error in a poll, which usually is calculated to plus or minus three percentage points.

Mass Survey

A survey designed to measure the opinions of the population, usually consisting of 1,500 responses.

Entrance Survey

A poll conducted of people coming to an event.

Exit Poll

A survey conducted outside a polling place in which individuals are asked who or what they just voted for and why.

Benchmark Poll

A survey taken at the beginning of a political campaign in order to gauge support for a candidate and determine which issues are important to voters.

Tracking Poll

A survey determining the level of support for a candidate or an issue throughout a campaign.

Random Digit Dialing

The use of telephone numbers randomly generated by computer to select potential survey respondents.

Question Order

The sequencing of questions in public opinion polls.

Question Wording

The phrasing of a question in a public opinion poll.

Political Culture

The dominant set of beliefs, customs, traditions, and values that define that relationship between citizens and government.

Individualism

The belief that individuals should be responsible for themselves and for the decisions they make.

Laissez-Faire (Free Enterprise)

An economic system in which government intrudes as little as possible in the economic transactions among citizens and businesses.

Rule of Law

The principle that no one, including public officials, is above the law.

Political Socialization

The experiences and factors that shape an individual's political values, attitudes, and behaviors.

Political Ideology

An individual's coherent set of beliefs about government and politics.

Generational Effect

The impact of historical events experienced by a generation upon their political views.

Life-Cycle Effect

The impact of a person's age and state in life on his or her political views.