Government and Politics Key Vocabulary

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering voting, elections, political ideologies, public opinion polling, and constitutional amendments from the lecture notes.

Absentee ballot

A ballot submitted by a voter who cannot vote in person on Election Day.

Australian ballot

A secret ballot printed and distributed by the government that lists all candidates.

Bandwagon effect

When people support a candidate because they believe that candidate is popular or will win.

Benchmark poll

The first poll taken in a campaign to measure a candidate's starting level of support.

Civil Rights Act of 1957

A law that protected voting rights and created the Civil Rights Division in the Justice Department.

Civil Rights Act of 1964

A law that banned discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin and ended segregation in public places.

Conservative/conservatism

A political belief that supports tradition, limited government, free markets, and gradual change.

Electorate

All the people who are eligible to vote in an election.

Entrance poll

A poll that asks voters about their opinions or choices as they enter a voting location, before voting.

Equality of opportunity

The belief that everyone should have an equal chance to succeed.

Exit poll

A poll that asks voters how they voted as they leave a polling place.

Franchise

The right to vote, also called suffrage.

Free enterprise

An economic system where individuals and businesses can compete with limited government control.

Gender gap

The difference between how men and women tend to vote or view political issues.

Generational Effects

Differences in political beliefs and voting habits between generations due to the events they experienced.

Globalization

The growing connection between countries through trade, technology, communication, and culture.

Grandfather clause

A law that allowed people to vote if their ancestors could vote before a certain date, used to prevent Black Americans from voting.

Ideology

A set of beliefs about government, politics, and society.

Individualism

The belief that individuals should have freedom and responsibility for their own choices.

Liberal/liberalism

A political belief that supports equality, social change, individual rights, and government action to address social and economic problems.

Libertarian/libertarianism

A political belief that supports maximum individual freedom and very limited government involvement in people's lives and the economy.

Lifecycle Effects

Changes in political beliefs and voting habits as people get older and move through different stages of life.

Limited Government

The idea that government power should be restricted to protect individual freedoms.

Literacy tests

Tests used to prevent people, especially Black Americans, from voting by requiring them to prove they could read or understand information.

Majoritarian

A system where decisions are based on the preferences of the majority.

Midterm election

An election held halfway through a president's four-year term to elect members of Congress and other officials.

Moderate

A person whose political beliefs fall between liberal and conservative views.

Motor Voter Act

A 1993 law that made voter registration easier by allowing people to register when applying for or renewing a driver's license.

Non-response bias

When people who do not respond to a poll differ from those who do, making the results less accurate.

Party-line voting

Voting for candidates from the same political party in an election.

Political culture

The shared beliefs, values, and attitudes people have about government and politics.

Political efficacy

A person's belief that they can understand and influence government and politics.

Political Ideology

A person's overall set of political beliefs about government's role and how society should work.

Political socialization (agents of)

The process of developing political beliefs and values through influences like family, school, friends, media, and religion.

Poll tax

A fee people had to pay to vote, historically used to prevent poor and Black Americans from voting.

Poll weighting (stratification)

Adjusting poll results to make sure different groups are represented in the correct proportions.

Populist/Populism

A political movement that claims to represent ordinary people against powerful elites.

Prospective voting

Voting based on what a candidate promises to do in the future.

Provisional ballot

A ballot used when a voter's eligibility is uncertain until election officials verify their information.

Public opinion

The views and beliefs that people in society have about political issues and government.

Public opinion poll

A survey that measures what people think about political issues, candidates, or government.

Public policy

Government actions, laws, and decisions used to address public issues.

Push polling

A poll designed to influence voters by giving misleading or negative information about a candidate.

Random sample

A group selected so every person in the population has an equal chance of being chosen.

Rational-choice voting

Voting based on which candidate or policy a person believes will benefit them the most.

Representative Sample (Universe)

A group of people that accurately reflects the characteristics of the larger population being studied.

Retrospective voting

Voting based on how well a candidate or political party performed in the past.

Rule of law

The principle that everyone, including government leaders, must follow the law.

Sampling error (Margin of error)

The amount a poll's results may differ from the actual population's opinions because only a sample was surveyed.

Social desirability bias

When people give answers they think are socially acceptable instead of their true opinions.

Structural barriers to voting

Rules or obstacles that make it harder for certain groups to vote, such as strict registration requirements or limited polling locations.

Suffrage

The right to vote.

Ticket-splitting

Voting for candidates from different political parties in the same election.

Tracking Poll

A poll taken repeatedly over time to measure changes in public support for a candidate or issue.

Valence issues

Issues that most people agree are important but may disagree about which candidate can handle them best.

Voter apathy

A lack of interest or concern about voting and politics.

Voter registration

The process of signing up to become an eligible voter.

Voter turnout

The percentage or number of eligible voters who actually vote in an election.

Voting blocs (who votes & who votes for whom)

Groups of voters who share similar characteristics or interests and often support the same candidates or parties.

Voting Rights Act of 1965

A law that banned racial discrimination in voting and allowed federal oversight of elections in areas with a history of discrimination.

Wedge issues

Controversial issues that divide voters and create disagreements between political groups.

15th Amendment

Gave Black men the right to vote by banning racial discrimination in voting.

17th Amendment

Allowed citizens to directly elect U.S. senators instead of having state legislatures choose them.

19th Amendment

Gave women the constitutional right to vote.

23rd Amendment

Gave Washington, D.C., electoral votes in presidential elections.

24th Amendment

Banned poll taxes in federal elections.

26th Amendment

Lowered the voting age from 21 to 18.