Untitled Flashcard Set

Public Opinion

The collection of attitudes, preferences, and opinions of the government involving the interests of the government.

Political Knowledge

A fundamental part of an individual's participation in politics, often lacking among Americans.

Ideology

A system of ideas and ideals that form the basis of economic or political theory and policy.

Partisanship

Loyalty to a political party, which may not indicate consistent issue attitudes or coherent political beliefs.

Political Socialization

The process by which individuals learn their political orientations and allegiances, influenced by family, school, and social events.

Low Issue Consistency

When individuals have inconsistent political opinions that do not reflect a coherent ideological framework.

Heuristics

Mental shortcuts that help individuals make decisions with little information, though they can lead to errors.

Implicit Bias

Unconscious attitudes influenced by stereotypes and social constructions.

Probability Sampling

A method of surveying a population where everyone has an equal probability of being selected.

Exit Polls

Polls taken immediately after voters cast their ballots to determine their voting choices.

Framing

The media's process of presenting information from a specific perspective to shape audience understanding.

Priming

The process of bringing attention to certain issues while ignoring others in political reporting.

Adversarial Journalism

A reporting style characterized by combative attitudes toward government officials.

Gerrymandering

The manipulation of electoral district boundaries to favor one political party over another.

Mobilization

The process of organizing large numbers of people for political activity.

Politically Participation

The various ways in which citizens engage in politics, including voting and civic volunteering.

Suffrage

The right to vote in political elections, historically restricted to specific groups.

15th Amendment

Constitutional amendment granting African American men the right to vote.

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Legislation that allowed the federal government to intervene in state laws affecting minority voting.

Duverger's Law

The principle that plurality voting systems in single-member districts tend to create a two-party system.

Party Organization

The formal structure of a political party, including leadership and election committees.

Negative Partisanship

Forming strong opinions against a political party rather than supporting another party.

Closed Primary

An election where only registered party members can vote for their party's candidates.

Open Primary

An election where voters can choose which party to enroll in on the day of the primary.

General Election

The election in which voters select office-holders from among the candidates.