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Gallup

The creator of scientific polling. His predictions in 1936 were very different than Literary Digest's poll even though his polling sample was much smaller.

Gallup Poll

An assessment of public opinion by the questioning of a statistically representative sample.

plurality

Candidate or party with the most votes cast in an election, not necessarily more than half.

straw poll

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

push poll

a polling technique in which the questions are designed to shape the respondent's opinion

random sample

a sample that fairly represents a population because each member has an equal chance of inclusion

stratified sample

a sample drawn in such a way that known subgroups within a population are represented in proportion to their numbers in the general population

tracking poll

a survey determining the level of support for a candidate or an issue throughout a campaign

exit poll

public opinion surveys used by major media pollsters to predict electoral winners with speed and precision

margin of error

a measure of the accuracy of a public opinion poll

sampling error

the difference between the results of random samples taken at the same time

John Q. Public

The average man or woman on the street, often portrayed by cartoonists as befuddled.

Middle America

A phrase coined by Joseph Kraft in a 1968 newspaper column to refer to Americans who have moved out of poverty but are not yet affluent and who cherish traditional middle-class values.

silent majority

People who do not voice their opinion, they are supportive of traditional values (conservative)

moral majority

"Born-Again" Christians become politically active. The majority of Americans are moral people, and therefore are a political force.

political attitude

Description of one's views regarding the speed and methods with which political changes should take place in a given society

political ideology

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

social status

A measure of one's social standing obtained by combining factors such as education, income, and occupation.

christian coalition

in the 1990's, Pentecostal minister Pat Robertson began a political movement and launched this organization. These and other organizations of the Christian right opposed federal interference in local affairs; denounced abortion, divorce, feminism, and homosexuality; defended unrestricted free enterprise, and supported a strong American posture in the world.

Contract with America

In the 1994 congressional elections, Congressman Newt Gingrich had Republican candidates sign a document in which they pledged their support for such things as a balanced budget amendment, term limits for members of Congress, and a middle-class tax cut.

gender gap

Difference in political views between men and women

political cleavage

a deep and lasting salient dimension of political conflict and competition within a given society, such as religion, ethnicity, ideology, or other forms of identity.

middle class

A social class made up of skilled workers, professionals, business people, and wealthy farmers

upper class

a term for the economic elite

working class

A social class broadly composed of people working in blue-collar, or manual, occupations.

affirmative action

A policy designed to redress past discrimination against women and minority groups through measures to improve their economic and educational opportunities

George Wallace (1919-1998)

Was for segregation of African Americans and served as governor of Alabama for 3 terms. Wallace had security sit in front of schools to keep blacks from entering.

liberal

open to new behavior or opinions and willing to discard traditional values.

conservative

holding to traditional attitudes and values and cautious about change or innovation, typically in relation to politics or religion.

social conservative

one who believes that the government should support and further traditional moral teachings

moderate

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

radical

Favoring drastic political, economic, or social reforms.

centrist

having moderate political views or policies

Populists

A party made up of farmers and laborers that wanted direct election of senators and an 8hr working day

libertarian

One who believes in limited government interference in personal and economic liberties

statist

one who believes in extensive government control over economic and personal liberties

Americanism

A belief that Americans consider themselves bound by common values and common hopes.

socialization

the lifelong social experience by which people develop their human potential and learn culture

barry goldwater

1964; Republican contender against LBJ for presidency; platform included lessening federal involvement, therefore opposing Civil Rights Act of 1964; lost by largest margin in history

free market

An economic system in which prices and wages are determined by unrestricted competition between businesses, without government regulation or fear of monopolies.

Quota

A limit placed on the quantities of a product that can be imported

Nomenklatura

Politically sensitive or influential jobs in the state, society, or economy that were staffed by people chosen or approved by the Communist Party

Joe Six-Pack

The average person

norm

an understood rule for accepted and expected behavior. Norms prescribe "proper" behavior.

apathy

a lack of feeling, emotion, or interest

race v ethnicity

rate - physical

ethnicity - cultural

motor-voter law

this was a law to encourage more people to participate in voting. This allowed people to register to vote while they renewed their license. The thought was that most people renew their license and thus it would give them a chance to register at the same time.

suffrage

the right to vote in political elections

franchise

the right to vote

jim crow laws

Limited rights of blacks. Literacy tests, grandfather clauses and poll taxes limited black voting rights

grandfather clause

A clause in registration laws allowing people who do not meet registration requirements to vote if they or their ancestors had voted before 1867.

white primary

the practice of keeping blacks from voting in the southern states' primaries through arbitrary use of registration requirements and intimidation

voting rights act of 1965

a law designed to help end formal and informal barriers to African-American suffrage

voting rights act of 1970

Legislation that gave eighteen-year-olds the right to vote in federal elections

26th Amendment

Lowered the voting age from 21 to 18

australian ballot

A government printed ballot of uniform size and shape to be cast in secret that was adopted by many states around 1890 in order to reduce the voting fraud associated with party printed ballots cast in public.

activist

someone who takes direct action to achieve a political goal

voting specialist

People who vote but participate in little else politically. They tend not to have much schooling or income, and to be substantially older than the average person.

campaigner

A person who actively promotes the goals of a cause

communalist

Those who join organizations and participate in politics but not in partisan campaigns.

parochial

local; narrow; limited

nonvoter

a person that is not eligible or not that does not vote

interest articulation

the process by which political actors express their demands, needs, or wants in a political system, often through interest groups

Direct Democracy

A form of government in which citizens rule directly and not through representatives

representative democracy

a form of democracy in which citizens elect officials to govern on their behalf

Full Democracy

A political system based on a constitution that guarantees rights and freedoms, election of rulers and representatives who agree to govern according to the constitution, majority rule, protection of minority rights, voter choice among political parties, recognition of fair and free elections, and an independent judiciary.

flawed democracy

A democracy sharing some features of full democracy but marred by voter fraud, uneven enforcement of civil and political rights, patronage politics, and corruption

Liberal/illiberal democracy

Liberal: A political system that promotes participation, competition, and liberty and emphasizes individual freedom and civil rights.

Illiberal: Authoritarian regimes that retains the basic structures of a democracy but does not protect basic civil liberties.

1st wave

mid-19thC through 1920; focused on gaining suffrage for women

2nd wave

1960s-1970s; focused on women's equal access to employment and education

3rd wave

1980s-present; focused on diversity among women's experiences and identities

polyarchy

rule by many; government having three or more rulers

provincial

limited in knowledge of the world; narrow-minded

personal interest contacts

personal contacts such as family or legislators that people use to articulate their interests through.

voter turnout

the percentage of eligible voters who cast a ballot in an election

grassroots

people at the local level; average voters, not professional politicians

single party

This system has one political party

• No other parties have a role in the government, and it may be illegal to form or join them

-Examples: China, North Korea

two party

a system of government in which two parties compete for power

multiparty

A system in which several major and many lesser parties exist, seriously compete for, and actually win, public offices

absolute government

no limit to the powers of the government. Citizens have no rights

Totalitarianism

A form of government in which the ruler is an absolute dictator (not restricted by a constitution or laws or opposition etc.)

despotism

the exercise of absolute power, especially in a cruel and oppressive way.

presidential monarchy

A regime type in which a dictator holds the office of president and works to keep the job for life, in the manner of a monarch.

personalism

ethics centred on people, rather than laws or objects

cult of personality

Promotion of the image of an authoritarian leader not merely as a political figure but as someone who embodies the spirit of the nation and possesses endowments of wisdom and strength far beyond those of the average individual.

ruling party military rule

political regime in which the military as an organization holds a preponderance of power

Coup d'etat

A sudden overthrow of the government by a small group

hybrid regime

a government with both authoritarian and democratic elements

anomic group

an interest group that forms only in response to a specific event, Temporary

non-associational groups

based on common interests and identities of ethnicities, region, religion, occupation, or perhaps kinship; rarely well organized, and their activity is episodic. (Russians protesting the election of Putin)

collective action

How groups form and organize to pursue their goals or objectives, including how to get individuals and groups to participate and to cooperate. The term has many applications in the various social sciences such as political science, sociology, and economics.

collective violence

violence committed by groups of individuals

political terror tactics

the use of fear in order to change political rules or destroy a system

institutional groups

Formal groups that have other political and social functions in addition to interest articulation

civil society

society considered as a community of citizens linked by common interests and collective activity.

pluralist

an advocate of a system in which two or more states, groups, principles, sources of authority, etc., coexist.