AP U.S. Government: Unit 2 / Parties Quiz Study Guide

Vocabulary flashcards covering the key concepts, ideologies, polling mechanisms, political parties, and voting models for the Unit 2/Parties Quiz.

Limited Government

A core American political belief that the power of government should be restricted by constitutional provisions and the rule of law to protect individual rights.

Equality of Opportunity

The American political principle that every individual should have an equal chance to pursue life goals and succeed, free from arbitrary barriers.

Free Enterprise

An economic and political belief centered on private ownership, competition, and minimal government intervention in market transactions.

The Rule of Law

The foundational principle that all individuals, institutions, and government officials are accountable to clear, publicly enacted, and equally enforced laws.

Civil Liberties

Individual rights and personal freedoms protected from unwarranted government interference, primarily found in the Bill of Rights.

Federalism

A constitutional system dividing governing authority and responsibilities between a national government and state governments.

Political Culture

The widely shared beliefs, values, traditions, and norms that define how citizens perceive the role of government and their relationship to it.

Political Socialization

The ongoing developmental process through which individuals acquire their political beliefs, values, and ideological perspectives.

Factors of Socialization

The primary agents through which political beliefs are transmitted, specifically identified in Unit 2 as family, education, and media.

Conservatives vs. Liberals

Two competing political ideologies: conservatives generally favor traditional values, free enterprise, and limited government intervention in the economy, whereas liberals generally favor government intervention to promote social equality and address economic disparities.

Open-Ended Poll Questions

Survey questions that permit respondents to answer in their own words without restriction, offering qualitative insights.

Close-Ended Poll Questions

Survey questions that require respondents to choose from a fixed, predetermined set of answer choices, allowing for standardized statistical comparison.

Tracking Poll

A continuous survey conducted with the same questions at regular intervals over time to measure shifts and trends in public opinion.

Straw Poll

An informal, unscientific survey conducted with a self-selected sample to gauge general sentiment rather than statistically valid results.

Exit Poll

A survey conducted with voters immediately after they leave polling places, used to project race outcomes and analyze voter demographic trends.

Margin of Error

A statistical measure indicating the expected range of inaccuracy or sampling variation in survey results based on sample size.

Random, Representative Sample

A polling sample where every member of the target population has an equal probability of selection, accurately mirroring the demographic characteristics of the whole population.

Presidential Approval Rating

A frequent polling metric used to assess the public percentage that approves or disapproves of the sitting president's job performance.

Democratic Party

A major American political party whose platform aligns with modern liberalism, endorsing government regulation of the economy, universal social welfare programs, and civil rights expansion.

Republican Party

A major American political party whose platform aligns with conservatism, endorsing tax cuts, free-market enterprise, limited federal power, and traditional cultural positions.

Green Party

A minor American political party centered on environmentalism, social justice, grassroots democracy, and nonviolence.

Libertarian Party

A minor American political party advocating for sharply reduced government authority in both economic regulation and personal lifestyle decisions.

Rational Choice Voting

A voting model where an elector makes decisions based strictly on what is perceived to be in their own personal individual interest.

Retrospective Voting

A voting model where voters assess candidates or political parties based on their past track record and performance in office.

Prospective Voting

A voting model where voters cast ballots based on predictions of how a candidate or party will act and perform in the future.

Party-Line Voting

A voting model where electors consistently vote for candidates of one political party down the entire ballot based solely on party label.