Unit 4 vocab

Benchmark poll

A survey taken at the beginning of a political campaign in order to gauge support for a candidate and determine which issues are unimportant to voters.

Command and control economy

Economic policy in which government dictates much of a nation's economic activity, including the amount of production and prices for goods.

Conservatism

An ideology favoring more regulation of social behavior and less government interference in the economy.

Consumer Price Index (CPI)

A basket of fixed goods and services over time, used to measure the cost of living.

Economic recession

A period of decline in economic activity, typically defined by two consecutive quarters of negative GDP growth.

Exit poll

A survey conducted outside a polling place in which individuals are asked who or what they just voted for and why.

Federal reserve system

A board of governors, Federal Reserve Banks, and member banks responsible for monetary policy.

Fiscal policy

Government use of taxes and spending to attempt to lower unemployment, support economic activity, and stabilize the economy.

Focus group

A small group of individuals assembled for a conversation about specific issues.

Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

The total value of goods and services produced by an economy.

Generational effect

The impact of historical events experienced by a generation upon their political views.

Globalization

The increasing interconnectedness of people, businesses, and countries throughout the world.

Individualism

The belief that individuals should be responsible for themselves and for the decisions they make.

Inflation

The rise in the prices of goods and services.

Laissez-faire or free enterprise economy

An economic system in which government intrudes as little as possible in the transactions among citizens and businesses.

Liberalism

An ideology favoring less government control over social behavior and greater regulation of the economy.

Libertarianism

An ideology favoring very little government intervention beyond protection of private property and individual liberty.

Life-cycle effect

The impact of a person's age and stage in life on his or her political views.

Mass survey

A survey designed to measure the opinions of the population, usually consisting of 1,500 responses.

Medicaid

A federal program that provides health care for the poor.

Medicare

A federal program that provides health insurance to seniors and the disabled.

Mixed economy

Economic policy in which many economic decisions are left to individuals and businesses with the federal government regulating economic activity.

Monetary policy

A set of economic policy tools designed to regulate the amount of money in the economy.

The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) & The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA)

A trade deal between the United States, Canada, and Mexico, effective from 1994 to 2020, tried to eliminate barriers to trade and investment between the three countries.

Outsourcing

When a company moves its business to a place where labor costs are cheaper or production is more efficient because workers work longer hours.

Party ideology

A party's philosophy about the proper role of government and its consistent set of positions on major issues.

Personal Responsibility and Work opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA)

A legislative act aimed at reforming welfare and promoting work.

Political culture

The shared set of beliefs, customs, traditions, and values that define the relationship between citizens and government.

Political ideology

An individual's coherent set of beliefs about government and politics.

Political socialization

The experiences and factors that shape our political values, attitudes, and behaviors.

Public opinion

The sum of individual attitudes about government, policies, and issues.

Question order

The sequencing of questions in public opinion polls.

Question wording

The phrasing of a question in a public opinion poll.

Random digit dialing

The use of telephone numbers randomly generated by a computer to select potential survey respondents.

Random selection

A method of choosing all poll respondents in a way that does not over- or underrepresent any group of the population.

Representative sample

A sample that reflects the demographics of the population.

Right vs. privilege

Something fundamental to which all have access; versus, something subject to political process.

Rule of law

The principle that no one, including public officials, is above the law.

Sample

A group of individuals from a larger population used to measure public opinion.

Sampling error

The margin of error in a poll, which usually is calculated to plus or minus three percentage points.

Scientific poll

A representative poll of randomly selected respondents with a statistically significant sample size using neutral language.

Tracking poll

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

Unemployment rate

The percentage of people actively looking for work who cannot find jobs.

Weighting

A procedure in which the survey is adjusted according to the demographics of the larger population.