Political Culture & Public Opinion

Chapter 1 and Chapter 6

common goods

goods that all people may use but that are of limited supply

democracy

a form of government where political power rests in the hands of the people

direct democracy

a form of government where people participate directly in making government decisions instead of choosing representatives to do this for them

elite theory

claims political power rests in the hands of a small, elite group of people

government

the means by which a society organizes itself and allocates authority in order to accomplish collective goals

ideology

the beliefs and ideals that help to shape political opinion and eventually policy

intense preferences

beliefs and preferences based on strong feelings regarding an issue that someone adheres to over time

latent preferences

beliefs and preferences people are not deeply committed to and that change over time

majority rule

a fundamental principle of democracy; the majority should have the power to make decisions binding upon the whole

minority rights

protections for those who are not part of the majority

monarchy

a form of government where one ruler, usually a hereditary one, holds political power

oligarchy

a form of government where a handful of elite society members hold political power

partisanship

strong support, or even blind allegiance, for a particular political party

pluralist theory

claims political power rests in the hands of groups of people

political power

influence over a government’s institutions, leadership, or policies

politics

the process by which we decide how resources will be allocated and which policies government will pursue

private goods

goods provided by private businesses that can be used only by those who pay for them

public goods

goods provided by government that anyone can use and that are available to all without charge

representative democracy

a form of government where voters elect representatives to make decisions and pass laws on behalf of all the people instead of allowing people to vote directly on laws

social capital

connections with others and the willingness to interact and aid them

toll good

a good that is available to many people but is used only by those who can pay the price to do so

totalitarianism

a form of government where government is all-powerful and citizens have no rights

agent of political socialization

a person or entity that teaches and influences others about politics through use of information

bandwagon effect

increased media coverage of candidates who poll high

Bradley effect

the difference between a poll result and an election result in which voters gave a socially desirable poll response rather than a true response that might be perceived as racist

classical liberalism

a political ideology based on belief in individual liberties and rights and the idea of free will, with little role for government

communism

a political and economic system in which, in theory, government promotes common ownership of all property, means of production, and materials to prevent the exploitation of workers while creating an equal society; in practice, most communist governments have used force to maintain control

covert content

ideologically slanted information presented as unbiased information in order to influence public opinion

diffuse support

the widespread belief that a country and its legal system are legitimate

exit poll

an election poll taken by interviewing voters as they leave a polling place

fascism

a political system of total control by the ruling party or political leader over the economy, the military, society, and culture and often the private lives of citizens

favorability poll

a public opinion poll that measures a public’s positive feelings about a candidate or politician

heuristics

shortcuts or generalizations for decision making

horserace coverage

day-to-day media coverage of candidate performance in the election

leading question

a question worded to lead a respondent to give a desired answer

margin of error

a number that states how far the poll results may be from the actual preferences of the total population of citizens

modern conservatism

a political ideology that prioritizes individual liberties, preferring a smaller government that stays out of the economy

modern liberalism

a political ideology focused on equality and supporting government intervention in society and the economy if it promotes equality

overt content

political information whose author makes clear that only one side is presented

political culture

the prevailing political attitudes and beliefs within a society or region

political elite

a political opinion leader who alerts the public to changes or problems

political socialization

the process of learning the norms and practices of a political system through others and societal institutions

public opinion

a collection of opinions of an individual or a group of individuals on a topic, person, or event

push poll

politically biased campaign information presented as a poll in order to change minds

random sample

a limited number of people from the overall population selected in such a way that each has an equal chance of being chosen

representative sample

a group of respondents demographically similar to the population of interest

socialism

a political and economic system in which government uses its authority to promote social and economic equality, providing everyone with basic services and equal opportunities and requiring citizens with more wealth to contribute more

straw poll

an informal and unofficial election poll conducted with a non-random population

theory of delegate representation

a theory that assumes the politician is in office to be the voice of the people and to vote only as the people want

traditional conservatism

a political ideology supporting the authority of the monarchy and the church in the belief that government provides the rule of la