Gov 4.8 political ideologies

Liberal

political ideology that generally favors greater government intervention, particularly in economic affairs and social services 

Conservative

 political ideology that generally favors a more limited government, particularly in economic affairs; have more traditionally points of view

Moderate

person who takes a relatively centrist or middle-of-the-road view on most political issues; generally in between liberals and conservatives in their political ideology 

Social Conservative

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

Political Ideology

set of beliefs and values about the purpose and scope of government that is held by individuals or groups

Public Opinion

what the public thinks about a particular issue or set of issues at any point in time

Public Opinion Poll

 interviews or surveys with samples of citizens that are used to estimate the feelings and beliefs of the entire population

Straw Poll

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

Sample

a subset of the whole population selected to be questioned for the purposes of prediction or gauging opinion 

Gallup Poll

one of first political polls that came about in late 1930’s started by George Gallup

Push Poll

polls taken for the purpose of providing information on an opponent that would lead respondents to vote against that candidate

Population

the entire group of people whose attitudes researcher wishes to measure

Random Sampling

a method of poll selection that gives each person in a group the same chance of being selected

Stratified Sampling

a variation of random sampling where the population is divided into subgroups and weighted based on demographic characteristics of the national population 

Tracking Polls

continuous surveys that enable a campaign or news organizations to chart a candidate’s daily rise or fall in support

Exit Polls

polls conducted as voters leave selected polling places on Election Day

Margin of Error

 a measure of the accuracy of a public opinion poll

Political Socialization

the process through which individuals acquire their political beliefs and values  

Focus Groups

research method used to collect opinions and feedback from a group of people about a specific product, concept, or service

Representative Sample

is a subset of a population that seeks to accurately reflect the characteristics of the larger group. For example, a classroom of 30 students with 15 males and 15 females could generate a representative sample that might include six students: three males and three females

Demographics

statistical data relating to the population and particular groups within it; 

examples include: age, race, ethnicity, gender, marital status, income, education, and employment, etc.

Sampling Error

error in a statistical analysis arising from the unrepresentativeness of the sample taken. Sampling error is affected by a number of factors including sample size, sample design, the sampling fraction and the variability within the population. In general, larger sample sizes decrease the sampling error, however this decrease is not directly proportional.

Political Polarization

the vast and growing gap between liberals and conservatives/Republicans and Democrats. An individual's stance on a given issue, policy, or person is more likely to be strictly defined by their identification with a particular political party.