AP US Govt & Politics Units 2 & 3

Chapter 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, & 16

Political Culture

the dominant set of beliefs, customs, traditions, and values that define that relationship between citizens and the government

Individualism

the belief that individuals should be responsible for themselves and their decisions

Laissez-faire/Free enterprise

government plays as small a role as possible in the economic transactions among citizens and businesses

Rule of law

nobody , including officials, is above the law

Political Socialization

the experiences and factors that shape an individuals political ideology

Generational effect

events occuring within a generation’’s lifetime that could shape individual or national opinions, especially evident after a black swan

Life-Cycle Effect

views about political issues can be influenced by a person’s stage in life

Globalization

increasing interconnectedness of people. businesses, and countries throughout the world

Outsourcing

when a company moves it business to a place where labor costs are cheaper or production is more efficient because workers work longer hours

Focus group

small group of people assembled for a conversation typically led by a moderator about specific issues

Scientific poll

a representative poll of randomly selected respondents with a statistically significant sample size using neutral language

Sample

a group of people from a larger population used to measure public opinion

Random selection

a method of choosing all poll respondents in a way that doesn’t over or underrepresented 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 to the demographics of the larger populations

sampling error

the margin of error in a poll which usually is calculated to plus or minus three percentage points

mass survey

designed to measure the opinions of the population usually consisting of 1500 responses

entrance survey

a poll conducted of people coming to an event

exit poll

a survey conducted outside a polling place in which people are asked who they 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 or 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

a set of beliefs about the desired goals and outcomes of a process of governance

right

something guaranteed that the government cannot take away

privelage

something a person may obtain or receive but that the government can take away

party ideology

a party’s philosophy about the proper role of government and its set of positions on Major issues

party identification

an individual’s attachment to a political party

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 greater regulation of businesses and the economy

libertarianism

an ideology favoring very little government regulation and intervention beyond protecting private property and individual liberty

command-and-control economy

economic policy in which government dictates much of a nation’s economic activity including the amount of production and price for goods

mixed economy

economic policy in which many economic decisions are left to individuals and businesses, with the government regulating economic activity

gross domestic product

total value of goods and services produced by an economy

economic recessions

a period of decline in economic activity, typically defined by two consecutive quarters of negative GDP growth

unemployment rate

the percent 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

government use of taxes and spending to attempt to lower unemployment, support economic growth, and stabilize the economy

federal reserve system

a board of governors, Federal Reserve Banks, and member banks responsible for monetary policy

monetary policy

a set of economic policy tools designed to regulate the amount of money in the economy

medicare

a federal program that provides health insurance to seniors and the disabled

medicaid

a federal program that provides healthcare for the poor

news media

a broad term that includes newspapers, magazines, radio, television, internet sources, blogs, and social media postings that cover important events

social media

forms of electronic communication that enable supers to create and share content or to participate in social networking

agenda setting

the media’s ability to highlight certain issues and bring the to public attention

mass media

sources of information designed to reach a wide audience, including newspapers, radio, television, and internet outlets

wire service

an organization that gathers and reports on news and then sells the stories to other outlets

investigative journalism

an approach to newsgathering in which reporters dig into stories, often looking for instances of wrongdoing

broadcast media

outlets for news and other content including radio and TV that bring stories’ directly into people’s homes

media consolidation

the concentration of ownership of the media into fewer coporations

partisan bias

the slanting of political news coverage in support of a particular political party or ideology

horse race journalism

coverage of political campaigns that focuses more on the drama of the campaign then on policy issues

political participation

the different ways in which individuals take action to shape the laws and policies of a government

political action committee (PAC)

an organization that raises money to elect and defeat candidates and may donate money directly to a candidate’s campaign, subject to limits

Linkage institution

channels that connect individuals with government , including elections, political parties, interest groups, and the medi

Social movement

the joining of individuals seeking social issues on the policy agenda

franchise/suffrage

the right to vote

26th amendment

allows people eighteen or older to vote

24th amendment

prohibits Congress and the states from imposing poll taxes as a condition for voting in federal elections

poll tax

a payment required by a state or federal government before a citizen is allowed to vote

voter turnout

the number of eligible voters who participate in an election as a percentage of the total number or eligible voters

demographic characteristics

measurable characters of a population, such as economic status, education, age, race or ethnicity, and gender

socioeconomic status (SES)

a measure of an individual’s wealth, income, occupation, and educational attainment

political efficacy

a person’s belief that he or she can make effective political change

political mobilization

efforts by political parties to encourage their members to vote

registration requirements

the set of rules that govern who can vote and how when, and where they vote

absentee ballot

voting completed and submitted by a voter before the day of an election without going to the polls

electoral college

a constitutionally required process for selecting the president through states of electors chosen in each state who are pledged to vote for a nominee in the presidential election

winner take all system

a system of elections in which the candidate who wins the plurality of votes within a state receies all of that state’s votes in the Electoral College