AP Gov Unit 2

Demography

Study of population changes

Melting Pot

Term used to describe the mixing of cultures and values in American society

Political Culture

An overall set of shared values within a society

Political Socialization

The process by which an individual acquires political attitudes, views, and knowledge

Random Sampling

Process by which a sample of a population is selected such that every member of the population has an equal chance of being selected; creates a representative sample

Random-Digit Dialing

A strategy of selecting survey participants by randomly generated phone numbers

Exit Poll

Poll given at the exit of a voting station asking for how people voted; used to predict election results; people are usually more honest because they just casted the vote

Political Ideology

A coherent set of beliefs about politics, public policy, and public purpose

Media Events

Events staged for media coverage

Narrowcasting

Media programming focused on one topic aimed at a specific audience group

Sound Bites

Short ~10 second clips of politician’s speeches

Talking Head

Shot of person’s face talking directly to camera; rarely used due to unstimulating nature

Liberals

Individuals with left-leaning political ideologies; support socially progressive policies (e.g. social welfare programs)

Conservatives

Individuals with right-leaning political ideologies; favors free enterprise, private ownership, and socially traditional ideas

Moderates

Individuals with centrist political ideologies

Political Spectrum

The spectrum of political ideologies; from left to right

Radicals

Individuals with extreme views on politics

Civil Disobedience

A method of protest by breaking a law believed to be unjust without breaking into violence; used to express discontent with a policy

Gender Gap

The pattern in which women are more likely to support Democratic candidates

Olson’s Law of Large Groups

Larger groups fall short of providing an optimal amount of collective goods to members

Single-Issue Groups

Groups that focus on one issue only and usually vote based on candidates’ stance on that issue

Lobbying

Communicating with policymakers in an attempt to influence the policymaking process

Electioneering

Direct participation in the electoral process (e.g. making PAC contributions)

PACs

Political action committees; raise money to support candidates who share common goals

Amicus Curiae Briefs

Written arguments supporting a side in a court case offering additional insight or expertise; used by interest groups to influence court rulings

Policy Entrepreneurs

Individuals who seek to influence the policy agenda through media coverage, utilizing a variety of techniques such as press conferences, press releases, etc.