AP Gov (UTHS) Summative 2 Review

beckigig

Political socialization

the lifelong process by which individuals internalize and develop their political beliefs

Political Culture

commonly shared attitudes

The Turner Thesis

Frederick Jackson Turner claimed that the role of the western frontier in the development of a uniquely American form of democracy and political culture was of supreme importance

individualism and individual freedoms

The importance of the individual and protection of their civil liberties

popular sovereignty and limited government

The government rules by the consent of the governed

equality

Every individual is equal before the law

protection of private property

Americans ownership of private property is protected by the law

civic duty

Americans should support and participate in the affairs of their local communities.

Family

the most important source of political socialization and the number one predictor of party identification. If both parents share a strong attachment to the same political party

Education

schools are the instrument through which knowledge about democracy and many of our shared values about our political culture are gained. While schools encourage political participation in all students

Group Affiliation

social groups

Demographic Factors

race or ethnicity

Globalization and the Media

the increase of information available from multiple sources

events

major [term] and opinion leaders can have an influence on political attitudes. For example

Political ideology

set of beliefs about politics

political culture

political ideology

our ____________ _______________ reflects big principles and values and our view of how our government should function

Conservative

tend to believe in a free market with little government regulation of business

tend to oppose expensive federal programs such as welfare

a national health care system and affirmative action

often call for limited government.

Liberal

tend to believe that government should regulate the economy and business

Moderate

the least philosophical of the three groups

liberal

Minorities tend to be more politically __________

conservative

males

wealthier

poorer

____________ Americans tend to be more liberal socially and more conservative about fiscal issues while ___________ people are often more conservative socially and liberal on fiscal policies.

west

The ______ is more divided with both conservatives and liberals

monetary policy

is controlled by the Federal Reserve Board and regulates the money supply and interest rates to control inflation and keep the economy healthy and stable

fiscal policy

is controlled by the President and Congress and includes the budget

Conservatives

Liberals

_____________________ prefer supply-side economics

Supply-side economics

belief that economic growth is best when the government encourages investment in the economy by private businesses

Fiscal Policy

the way the government uses taxation and government spending to support or improve the overall health of the American economy.

deficit spending

spending that is higher than revenue

conservative

Moderates are often more pragmatic and less dogmatic about some of these issues

Libertarians

believe in little or no government intervention in either the economy or the social issues of the day.

believe that the government should not interfere in your personal

family or business decisions. They believe in low or no taxes

Non discretionary spending

spending that is required by law or has already been mandated by the government

culture war

A split in the United States reflecting differences in people's beliefs about private and public morality

orthodox

believe morality is more important than personal freedom and that societal rules or laws should be based on the 'laws of nature and nature's God.'

progressive

their beliefs hold that personal freedom and the flexibility to reevaluate traditional rules when solving problems is most important.

Public opinion

the way the public feels about certain issues.

Sample polling

a type of poll that asks a small group of people their opinion on an issue with the intention that this sample will be representative of society at large.

Tracking polls

polls that track the way people feel about certain issues as stories are reported in the media.

Entrance/Exit polls

polls that ask people for whom they voted for as they enter or exit the voting stations. they are successful in predicting the outcome of the election before the actual results are announced.

public policy

Everything the government does for the people

includes laws

government programs

media

any form that transmits information

magazines

newspapers

public agenda

issues that are likely to be addressed by the government

horse race journalism

instances in which news sources report on political races much like they would sports scores or horse races

focuses on who is wining an election and without explicitly making commentary about it

making it more reliable and unbiased. A problem with this type of reporting is that it focuses more on the candidates and their personalities and popularity than their stance on specific issues. This in turn has an impact on who gets elected to public office and what policy is implemented.

platform

Political parties often unify around particular and foundational issues

Caucus

Political parties pick candidates by having a ___________

Interest Groups

final part of linkage institutions

similar to political parties

as both groups focus on helping people participate in government and influencing public policy. The main difference is that they do not run for office while political parties do

usually focus on a singular issue such as guns

civil liberties

Iron Triangles

showcase the relationship between interest groups

Electoral College

the institution that elects the president and vice president every four years

538

435

100

3

Currently

270

A candidate must receive ___ electoral votes in order to be elected president.

House of Representatives

26

when neither presidential candidate wins 270 electoral votes

Each state casts one vote. The candidate who receives ___ or more votes is elected.

Buckley v. Valeo (1976)

case where the court ruled that campaign spending is a form of speech and can therefore be protected under the First Amendment to the Constitution

Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010)

case where the court expanded the Buckley ruling to include corporation's spending as protected speech as well under the first amendment

Civic responsibilities

duties that all citizens are expected to do for their countr