AP U.S. Government - Unit 2: Core American Values, Political Socialization, Political Ideology & Voting

Vocabulary flashcards covering all 67 key terms for AP U.S. Government Unit 2, including Core American Values, Political Socialization, Political Ideology, and Voting.

Absentee ballot

A ballot cast without voting in person at a polling place on Election Day; rules vary by state.

Australian ballot

A government-printed secret ballot that protects voter privacy.

Bandwagon effect

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

Benchmark poll

An initial campaign poll measuring a candidate's starting support and key voter opinions.

Civil Rights Act of 1957

Created the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights and strengthened federal enforcement of voting rights.

Civil Rights Act of 1964

Banned discrimination in public accommodations and employment and included voting-rights protections.

Conservative / conservatism

An ideology that generally favors traditional values, free markets, lower taxes, and less economic regulation.

Electorate

The people eligible to vote in an election.

Entrance poll

A survey taken before people participate in voting, often at caucuses.

Equality of opportunity

The principle that everyone should have a fair chance to succeed, not necessarily the same outcome.

Exit poll

A survey of voters after they have cast ballots, used to analyze voting patterns.

Franchise

The legal right to vote; also called suffrage.

Free enterprise

An economic system in which private businesses compete with relatively limited government control.

Gender gap

A difference in political attitudes or voting patterns between men and women.

Generational effects

Long-lasting political attitudes shaped by major events experienced by a generation.

Globalization

Growing economic, cultural, and political connections among countries.

Grandfather clause

A historical voting rule exempting people whose ancestors had voting rights before a cutoff date; used to exclude Black voters.

Ideology

A coherent set of beliefs about society, government, and policy.

Individualism

The belief in personal freedom, self-reliance, and individual responsibility.

Liberal / liberalism

An ideology that generally favors government action on economic inequality and social programs, while supporting individual civil liberties.

Libertarian / libertarianism

An ideology favoring minimal government intervention in economic and personal choices.

Lifecycle effects

Changes in political attitudes or participation associated with aging and life stages.

Limited government

The principle that government powers are restricted by the Constitution and law.

Literacy tests

Reading tests historically used to prevent Black citizens and others from voting.

Majoritarian

The principle that public policy should generally reflect the will of the majority, subject to constitutional rights.

Midterm election

A congressional election held halfway through a president's four-year term.

Moderate

A person with middle-of-the-road or mixed liberal and conservative political views.

Motor Voter Act

The 1993 National Voter Registration Act, requiring voter-registration opportunities at motor vehicle agencies and certain public offices.

Non-response bias

Poll distortion that occurs when those who do not respond differ meaningfully from those who do.

Party-line voting

Voting for candidates from the same political party across offices.

Political culture

Shared political values, beliefs, and expectations in a society.

Political efficacy

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

Political ideology

A set of beliefs about government's proper role and preferred policies.

Political socialization (agents of)

The process of developing political attitudes through influences such as family, school, peers, media, religion, and events.

Poll tax

A fee imposed as a condition for voting, historically used to disenfranchise voters.

Poll weighting (stratification)

Weighting adjusts survey responses to reflect population groups; stratification divides the population into groups for sampling.

Populist / populism

A political approach claiming to represent ordinary people against powerful elites; specific policy views vary.

Prospective voting

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

Provisional ballot

A ballot set aside until election officials verify the voter's eligibility.

Public opinion

The collective attitudes of people about politics, leaders, and issues.

Public opinion poll

A survey measuring people's opinions about politics or public issues.

Public policy

Laws, regulations, and actions government adopts to address public issues.

Push polling

Persuasion disguised as polling through misleading or loaded questions.

Random sample

A sample selected by chance so members of the population have known selection probabilities.

Rational-choice voting

Voting for the option a person believes will best serve their interests.

Representative sample (universe)

A representative sample resembles the larger population on relevant characteristics; the universe is the entire group being studied.

Retrospective voting

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

Rule of law

The principle that everyone, including government officials, must obey the law.

Sampling error (margin of error)

Uncertainty from using a sample rather than the entire population; the margin of error estimates its size at a stated confidence level.

Social desirability bias

When survey respondents give socially acceptable answers rather than their true views.

Structural barriers to voting

Rules or practical obstacles that make it harder to register or cast a ballot.

Suffrage

The right to vote; also called the franchise.

Ticket-splitting

Voting for candidates from different parties in the same election.

Tracking poll

Repeated polling that measures changes in support over time.

Valence issues

Issues where most people agree on the goal but disagree over which candidate can achieve it best.

Voter apathy

Lack of interest or concern about voting and political participation.

Voter registration

The process of signing up with election authorities to be eligible to vote.

Voter turnout

The share of eligible or voting-age people who cast ballots, depending on the measure.

Voting blocs (who votes and for whom)

Groups of voters with shared characteristics that often show similar electoral preferences.

Voting Rights Act of 1965

A landmark federal law banning racial discrimination in voting and providing enforcement tools.

Wedge issues

Divisive political issues used to split coalitions or draw voters away from opponents.

15th Amendment

Prohibits denial of voting rights based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude.

17th Amendment

Requires direct popular election of U.S. senators.

19th Amendment

Prohibits denial of voting rights based on sex.

23rd Amendment

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

24th Amendment

Prohibits poll taxes in federal elections.

26th Amendment

Prohibits denying the vote to citizens age 18 or older on account of age.