AP Gov Unit 4 sec. 3 part 2

Push Polling

may not be non-biased but still presented as such, comes from organization with a stake in the results

Internet Polling

self selected, not random or representative

Public Opinion Influencing Elections

who can be in primary debates based on poll results, bandwagon effect, fundraising ability of candidates, horserace focus

Horserace Focus

how well a candidate is doing and not what they are doing

Legislature in Policy Debate Influence

sometimes responsive to polls because House members face frequent re-election campaigns

Executive Branch in Policy Debate Influence

sometimes responsive but sometimes uses "bully pulpit" to try and change public opinion instead of giving in to it

Judicial Branch in Policy Debate Influence

hard to measure effect, but often reflects mood of the nation

Social Desirability Bias

respondents may tell pollster what they think the pollster wants to hear, not honest with responses

Bradley Effect

told him they would vote for him but did not to avoid being seen as racially biased towards blacks

Social Media Opinions

can be used to gauge public opinion passively, not always accurate, more extreme views often emerge

Biased Pollsters

funded by special interest groups seeking a specific response

What Polls Reveal About American's Political Information

lower level of political knowledge, people know basic values and not information on policy/makers (or information is inaccurate), increased education/information has barely raised public knowledge

Paradox of Mass Politics

more information accessible to people does not mean it is used or observed

Decline in Government Trust

public is increasingly dissatisfied in government, public cynicism, drained public support for poverty/racial inequality policies, big government solutions to social problems are wasteful/impractical

Public Cynicism

undermines ability of government to address social problems since citizens do not believe they can do so

Political Ideology

a comprehensive and mutually consistent set of values/ideas about politics (and its role)/public policy/public purpose

Valence Issues

concerns or policies that are viewed in the same way by people with a variety of ideologies

Wedge Issues

define ideology, sharply divide the public, more decisive issues tend to hold high importance to individuals/groups due to strong feelings about the issues

Cleavages

gaps in public opinion caused by wedge issues

Liberals

open to allowing the government to flexibly expand beyond established constraints, want the government to do more, under 30s/minorities/women

Conservatives

believe in following tradition and having reverence for authority, want the government to be less involved, groups with political clout (wealth/influence)

Gender Gap

refers to the regular pattern by which women are more likely to support Democratic candidates, financial status/religion/religiosity can effect ideology too

Fiscal Conservative

less taxation and government spending

Social Conservative

in favor of promoting things that maintain a typical family structure

Libertarian

oppose government intervention/regulation, oppose censorship, want lower taxes, dislike government morality

Populists

working-class, often Protestant Christian, moral code

Progressives

criticize traditional political establishments that concentrate too much power in one place like government/business, liberal, in favor of workers' rights over corporate rights and higher progressive taxes

Four Groups of Ideological Sophistication

idealogues (12%), group benefits voters (42%), nature of the times voters (24%), no issue content voters (22%)

Idealogues

can define personal ideology and make decisions based on it

Group Benefits Voters

make decisions based on which candidate they believe will help them the most

Nature of the Times Voters

when times are good, they keep voting for who is currently in office; when times are bad, they vote for the opposing party

No Issue Content Voters

vote based on who they like the best

Political Participation

many activities used by citizens to influence the selection of political leaders or the policies they pursue

Participatory Political Culture

depends on voter involvement, voting declines from national to local elections

Political Efficacy

belief that their vote will have an effect on the outcome of an election or policies, more of this leads to higher political participation

Conventional Participation

widely accepted modes of influencing government: voting, trying to persuade, collecting signatures for petition, running for office, contributing money to campaigns

Unconventional Participation

less common/dramatic activities: protesting with goal of media coverage that will send a message, civil disobedience, violence

Civil Disobedience

consciously breaking an unjust law and suffering the consequences

Class-Biased Participation

higher socioeconomic status participate more than others because of accessibility/time

Minority Group Participation

below average, differences declining, group consciousness (identifying together), do this more with equal income/education