AP Government Unit 4 - American Political Ideologies and Beliefs

Individualism

giving priority to one's own goals over group goals and defining one's identity in terms of personal attributes rather than group identifications

equality of opportunity

giving people an equal chance to succeed

Rule of Law

principle that the law applies to everyone, even those who govern

political socialization

the process by which people gain their political attitudes and opinions

Keynesian Theory

an economic theory stating that the government can stabilize the economy- that is, can smooth business cycles- by controlling the level of aggregate demand, and that the level of aggregate demand can be controlled by means of fiscal and monetary policies

supply-side theory

the belief that lower taxes and fewer regulations will stimulate the economy

monetary policy

Government policy that attempts to manage the economy by controlling the money supply and thus interest rates.

fiscal policy

the use of government spending and revenue collection to influence the economy

Opinion polls

surveys that ask members of the public how they feel about different issues

tracking polls

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

Exit Polls

polls based on interviews conducted on election day with randomly selected voters

Sampling Techniques

techniques used to collect samples, for example random sampling, systematic and stratified sampling

sampling error

The level of confidence in the findings of a public opinion poll. The more people interviewed, the more confident one can be of the results.

Federal Reserve System

The country's central banking system, which is responsible for the nation's monetary policy by regulating the supply of money and interest rates

Demography

the science of population changes

entitlement spending

Spending determined by the number of qualified recipients and their legally determined need

discretionary spending

spending about which Congress is free to make choices

means-tested programs

government programs providing benefits only to individuals who qualify based on specific needs

estate tax (inheritance tax)

a federal tax on the assets left to heirs by someone who dies

Liberal Ideology

usually means being open to allowing the government flexibility to expand beyond established constraints

Conservative Ideology

Holding to traditional attitudes and values and cautious about change or innovation, typically in politics or religion.

Libertarian Ideology

disfavor any government intervention beyond the 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

generational effect

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