Unit 4 Vocabulary

Political Culture

the dominant set of beliefs, customs, traditions,

and values that define the relationship between citizens and

government.

individualism

the belief that individuals should be responsible for

themselves and for the decisions they make.

rule of law

the principle that no one, including public officials, is

above the law.

Personal Responsibility and Work opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA)

Political socialization

the experiences and factors that shape an

individual’s political values, attitudes, and behaviors.

Political ideology

an individual’s coherent set of beliefs about

government and politics.

Generational effect

the impact of historical events experienced by

a generation upon their political views.

Life-cycle effect

the impact of a person’s age and stage in life on

his or her political views.

Globalization

the increasing interconnectedness of people,

businesses, and countries throughout the world.

NAFTA & USMCA

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.

Public opinion

the sum of individual attitudes about government,

policies, and issues.

Focus group

small group of individuals assembled for a

conversation about specific issues.

Scientific poll

a representative poll of randomly selected

respondents with a statistically significant sample size, using

neutral language.

Sample

: a subgroup of individuals from a larger population used

to measure public opinion.

Random selection

a method of choosing all poll respondents in a

way that does not over- or under-represent any group of the

population

Representative Sample

a sample that reflects the demographics of

the population.

weighting

A procedure in which the survey is adjusted according

920to the demographics of the larger population.

sampling error

the margin of error in a poll, which is usually

calculated to around plus or minus three percentage points.

Mass survey

a survey designed to measure the opinions of the

population, usually consisting of 1,500 responses

exit poll

a survey conducted outside a polling place in which

individuals are asked who or what they just voted for and why.

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 important to voters.

Tracking poll

a survey determining the level of support for a

candidate or an issue throughout a campaign.

Random digit dialing

the use of telephone numbers randomly

generated by computer to select potential survey respondents.

question order

the sequencing of questions in public opinion

polls.

Question wording

the phrasing of a question in a public opinion

poll.

Political ideology

Right vs. privilege

Party ideology

: a party’s philosophy about the proper role of

government and its consistent set of positions on major issues.

Conservatism

an ideology favoring more control of social

behavior, fewer regulations on businesses, and less government

interference in the economy.

liberalism

an ideology favoring less government control over

social behavior and more regulation of businesses and of the

economy.

Libertarianism

an ideology favoring very little government

964regulation and intervention beyond protecting private property

and individual liberty.

1. Laissez-faire or free enterprise economy 

an economic system in which

government intrudes as little as possible in the economic

transactions among citizens and businesses

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.

Mixed economy

economic policy in which many economic

decisions are left to individuals and businesses, with the

government regulating economic activity.

GDP

the total value of goods and

services produced by an economy.

Economic recession

: a period of decline in economic activity,

typically defined by two consecutive quarters of negative GDP

growth.

Unemployment rate

the percentage of people actively looking for

work who cannot find jobs.

Inflation

: the rise in the prices of goods and services.

Consumer Price Index (CPI)

the cost of a fixed basket of goods

and services over time, used to measure the cost of living.

fiscal policy

Federal reserve system

Monetary policy

Medicare

Medicaid