AP Government Unit 2: Political Culture, Public Opinion & Social Programs

Individualism

People being themselves and making their own decisions

Equality of opportunity

No bias against someone being successful

Free enterprise

The people should be able to make their own decisions about business

Rule of law

Everyone, even leaders, must obey the law

Limited government

No part of the government should have absolute power

Political Culture

A set of shared values, beliefs, and attitudes that shape how society perceives its government

Political Socialization

The lifelong learning process by which people acquire their political values, beliefs, attitudes, and behavior

Political Ideology

A set of shared beliefs and values that guides how people think society and government should work

Liberal

someone who favors active national government involvement to solve social problems, regulate the economy, and reduce inequality, while supporting personal freedom and autonomy in private social conduct

Conservative

ideology favors limited national government involvement in the economy, free-market capitalism, personal responsibility, traditional social values, and shifting greater policy authority to state and local governments

Moderate

a voter or politician whose ideological views fall between liberal and conservative positions, favor pragmatic solutions, incremental change, and compromise over strict partisan doctrine.

Generational effect

the permanent or long-lasting impact of major historical events and social movements on the political attitudes of the people who came of age during them

Life-cycle effect

shifts in political attitudes, ideologies, and priorities that occur as a person moves through different stages of life—such as starting a career, buying a home, raising children, or retiring

Public Opinion polls

Human research surveys that measure public attitudes, political support and policy views through questionnaires & representative population samples

Benchmark polls

Sets a baseline of data on public opinion that can then be measured by tracking polls

Tracking polls

A small sample of voters contacted every 24 hours to chart the rise and fall of support

Entrance polls

A survey conducted by asking voters about their intended vote just as they enter a polling site

Exit polls

A poll voters take immediately after they have exited the polling stations

Sampling techniques

Methods used by researchers to select a subset of individuals from a larger population to gather data

Focus group

A qualitative research method where a small group discusses a specific topic under the guidance of a trained moderator

Sampling error

The difference between a result calculated from a sample and the true value of the entire population

Entitlement Programs

A government program that guarantees specific benefits to any person that meets the legal eligibility requirements

Means-tested

One where a person's income and financial resources must fall below a specific limit to qualify for eligibility

Non-means tested

a government-funded benefit that individuals receive by law if they meet specific non-income criteria (such as age or past payroll contributions), regardless of their personal income or wealth

Social Security

A Federal social insurance program that provides monthly financial support to retired, disabled, and surviving workers and their families

Medicare

Federal health insurance in the US for people ages 65 and older

Medicaid

A joint federal and state program that provides free or low-cost health coverage to eligible low-income individuals or people with disabilities

TANF

A federal funded, state-run program often referred to as 'welfare' that provides temporary financial support to low-income families