Chap. 12-13 Gov

Conservative

citizens who lean towards believing a strict threshold to qualify for welfare and longer prison sentences for convicted criminals

Liberal

citizens who lean towards believing leniency from the government on punishments for lawbreakers

Political Culture

the set of attitudes that shape political behavior

Individualism

a belief in the fundamental worth and importance of the individual

Equality of Opportunity

citizens' rights to the exact same ability to pursue life, liberty, and happiness

Laiissez-faire

"let it be" approach- government should let the producers and consumers do what they have to do

Free Enterprise

An "invisible hand" guided by the interactions of producers and consumers that would regulate the economy over time

Rule of Law

the principle of a government that establishes laws that apply equally to all members of society and prevents the rule and whims of leaders who see themselves as above the law

Limited Government

one kept under control by law and by checks and balances and the separation of powers

Political Socialization

the process by which you develop political beliefs

Globalization

process of an ever-expanding and increasingly interactive world economy

Silent Generation (Pre-1945)

seniors who were born during the Great Depression or the end of WWII

Baby Boomers (1946-1964)

lived during an era of economic prosperity after WWII and through the unstableness in the middle of the 20th century

Gen X (1962-1982)

born after baby boomers

Millennials

came of voting age at or after the new millennium

Generational Effects

how you and your peers grow up will influence your political views

Lifecycle Effects

variety of physical, social, and psychological changes that people go through as they age

Great Depression (1929-1933)

era where economic hardships were endured and the government's involvement in social life was appreciated

Great Recession (2007-2012)

caused an attitude change where funding ideas and Democratic acceptance increased with the responses

Iraq Invasion (2003)

unsuccessful search for weapon of mass destrutcion

New Deal Coalition

massive group of Americans who voted for FDR and the Democratic representatives that followed

Public Opinion Polls

surveys in politics used to gauge attitudes on issues or support for candidates in an election in a cross-section of the population

Benchmark Polls

oftentimes the first poll in a campaign used to measure support and information

Tracking Polls

asks questions to measure voters' views on an issues and how they may vote, specifically over the course of a campaign

Entrance/Exit Polls

taken outside voting areas on election day to make predictions on the outcome of the election and to receive demographic information

Approval Ratings

polls that ask whether the respondent approves or not of the president's performance

Focus Group

a small group of citizens who are gathered to hold conversations about issues or candidates

Sampling Techniques

assure an accurate poll with a random and fair representation of the population

Representative Sample (Universe)

a group of people meant to represent the large group in question

Random Sample

where everyone should have an equal chance of being selected for the sample

Random-Digit Dialing

randomly calling possible numbers in a given area until enough people respond for a sample

Weighting (Stratification)

making sure demographic groups are properly represented in a sample

Sampling Error (Margin of Error)

difference between poll results

Push Polling

telephone campaigning that sends messages in order to convince the listener to the campaign, very controversial and deceptive

Bandwagon Effect

a shift of support to a candidate or position holding the lead in public opinion polls and therefore believed to be endorsed by many people

Social Desirability Bias

the tendency for respondents and declared voters to tell pollsters what they want to hear

Bradley Effect

african american candidates that have underperformed against their consistently inflated poll predictions, as poll participants don't want to appear bigoted

Non-Response Bias

favorable ideas to a sample when a large fraction of those sampled fails to respond