AP US Government Unit 4

individualism

Places emphasis on self-reliance and independence

equality of opportunity

Belief that every American, regardless of race, ethnicity, sex, religion, etc. deserves equal footing to go after life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

free enterprise

Belief in laissez-faire economics. As little government intervention in the economy as possible.

rule of Law

Belief that every citizen is equal under the law, no one has special privileges

limited government

Belief in a government whose limits are well-defined and is restrained through the separation of powers and a system of checks and balances.

political socialization

The process by which we develop our political attitudes, values, and beliefs.

opinion poll

an assessment of public opinion obtained by questioning a representative sample.

benchmark poll

initial poll on a candidate and issues on which campaign strategy is based and against which later polls are compared

tracking polls

continuous surveys that enable a campaign or news organization to chart a candidate's daily rise or fall in support

entrance poll

A poll that is taken before voters have cast their votes at the polling stations

exit poll

a survey taken at polling places of how people voted

sampling techniques

techniques used to collect samples for polls, for example random or non-random sampling

mass survey

a way to measure public opinion by interviewing a large sample of the population

focus group

A small group of individuals who are led in discussion by a professional consultant in order to gather opinions on and responses to candidates and issues.

open-ended questions

questions that allow respondents to answer however they want; more detailed but more difficult to categorize

closed-ended questions

questions a person must answer by choosing from a limited, predetermined set of responses; less detailed but easier to categorize

platform

a series of statements expressing the party's principles, beliefs, and positions on election issues

plank

each individual part of a political party's platform

Liberalism

government programs should promote social equality; government regulation of the marketplace to achieve greater equality; progressive taxation, affirmative action, civil rights

Conservatism

government programs should promote social morality; less government regulation of the marketplace to achieve greater individual prosperity; flatter income taxation, pro-life; civil liberties

Libertarianism

the less government does, the better; private property and individual liberty; lower and flat income taxation

income taxation

may be progressive (the more you make the higher you percentage you pay) or flat (everyone pays the same rate)

Democratic Party Ideology

generally liberal ideologically although it also appeals to some moderates and libertarians

Republican Party Ideology

generally conservative although it also appeals to some moderates and libertarians

Moderate

person whose views are between conservative and liberal and may include some of both ideologies

Keynesian economics

a form of demand-side economics that encourages government action to stimulate the economy through program spending; can be done by Congress and the President

supply-side economics

encourages the cutting of tax rates to stimulate the economy; can be done by Congress and the President

monetary policy

Government policy that attempts to manage the economy by controlling the money supply and thus interest rates; done by the Federal Reserve

party faction

group within a political party with the same stance on an issue that attempts to influence the platform of the party and the positions of party leaders

Democratic party factions

liberals, socialists, environmentalists, feminists, LGBT, ethnic minority rights activists

Republican party factions

conservatives, libertarians, pro-life, gun rights, religious right

political culture

Set of beliefs, customs, and values that define the relationship between government and citizen

laissez faire economics

Government intrudes as little as possible into the economy

command and control economy

Economic Policy in which government dictates much of economy's activity, includes prices and production

mixed economy

economic policy in which many decisions are left to individuals with the government regulating some economic activity

GDP

Total value of goods and services produced by an economy

economic recession

Negative GDP growth for two consecutive quarters

unemployment rate

percentage of people who are actively looking for jobs but can not find one

Inflation

The rise in the price of goods and services

globalization

Increasing interconnectedness of people, businesses, and countries

outsourcing

Company moves its business to a place where labor costs are cheaper or restrictions are more lax

scientific poll

Using neutral wording, a random selection of people, and at least 1500 people

weighting

Procedure in which the survey is adjusted according to the demographics of the larger population

right

Something guaranteed that the government can not take away

party Identification

Individual's attachment to a political party

privilege

Something a person may obtain but the government can take away

Federal Reserve System

Board of governors, Federal Reserve Banks, and member banks responsible for monetary policy

Medicare

Federal program that provides health insurance to seniors and disabled

Medicaid

Federal program that provides health care for the poor

horse race polling

the focus is on who is "winning" a given race, which focuses on support rather than substantive issues

margin of error

an amount (usually small) that is allowed for in case of miscalculation or change of circumstances in a poll

straw poll

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

social desirability bias

the tendency for people to say what they believe is appropriate or acceptable

non-response bias

bias resulting when individuals selected to be in a survey either cannot be contacted or refuse to answer survey questions.

political ideology

a more or less consistent set of beliefs about what policies government ought to pursue

Boomer Generation

Individuals born from 1946 to 1964; key experiences include the Vietnam war, the civil rights movement, and Watergate.

Gen X

Individuals born from 1965 to 1980; key experiences include end of the Cold War, rise of the personal computer, and Exxon Valdez oil tanker spill

Gen Y (Millennials)

Individuals born from 1981 to 1996; key experiences include 9/11, rise of social media, school shootings

Gen Z

Individuals born from 1997 to 2012; key experiences include elections of Obama and Trump, always wired connectivity, impacts of climate change

random sample

Method of selecting from a population in which each person has an equal probability of being selected.

representative sample

A sample that accurately reflects the characteristics of the population as a whole.

Silent Generation

Individuals born from 1928 to 1945; key experiences include the Great Depression, World War II, prosperity of the 1950s

fiscal policy

Government policy that attempts to manage the economy by controlling taxing and spending; done by Congress