generational
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.
Populism
A political approach that appeals to the people, characterized by a conservative stance on social issues and a liberal stance on economic issues.
Polarization
A shift in attitudes by political parties toward more extreme positions, making compromise more difficult.
Political socialization
The process by which individuals develop their political attitudes, values, and beliefs.
Factors of political socialization
Influences such as family, age, school, class, income, occupation, religion, gender, ethnicity, group influence, mass media, and party preferences.
Public opinion
A belief or sentiment shared by a majority of people.
Measures of public opinion
Tools such as polls, focus groups, and town hall meetings used to gauge public sentiment.
Scientific poll
A poll that employs random sampling to ensure accuracy.
Random sample
A sampling method where every individual in the population has an equal chance of being selected.
Straw poll
An informal poll that does not use random sampling, often lacking scientific rigor.
Sampling error
A measure of the accuracy of a public opinion poll, indicating potential discrepancies.
Margin of error
The range of percentage points in which a sample accurately reflects the population.
Liberal
A person who advocates for progress, reform, and the protection of civil liberties.
Conservative
A person who believes in limiting government power, especially in the economy, to maximize individual freedom.
Political ideology
A set of values and beliefs regarding the purpose and scope of government held by individuals and groups.
Political spectrum
The range of political views from liberal to conservative.
Libertarian
A person who is liberal on social issues but conservative on economic issues.
Party identification
A citizen's self-proclaimed preference for a political party.
Party affiliation
An individual's choice of a political party when registering to vote.
Equality of opportunity
The principle of providing everyone with an equal chance to succeed.
Equality of outcome
The idea that society must ensure equal economic and social status through government policies.
Globalism
A philosophy that views the world as a unified community that should be politically and economically integrated.
Generational effect
The long-lasting impact of significant events on the political opinions of those who came of political age during that time.
Life cycle effect
The concept that individuals' political beliefs change as they age due to age-specific experiences.
Period effects
The consequences of broad, society-wide historical changes that impact all age groups at a specific time.
Opinion poll
An assessment of public opinion obtained by questioning a representative sample.
Benchmark poll
An initial poll on a candidate and issues that informs campaign strategy and serves as a comparison for later polls.
Tracking polls
Continuous surveys that monitor a candidate's daily support levels.
Entrance poll
A poll conducted before voters cast their votes at polling stations.
Exit polls
Polls conducted as voters leave polling places on Election Day.
Focus group
A small group led in discussion by a consultant to gather opinions on candidates and issues.
Keynesian economics
An economic theory advocating for increased government spending during downturns and reduced spending during booms.
Supply-side economics
An economic philosophy that suggests cutting taxes will incentivize work, saving, and investment, leading to economic growth.
Monetary policy
Government policy aimed at managing the economy by controlling the money supply and interest rates.
Fiscal policy
Government policy focused on managing the economy through taxation and spending.
Rule of law
the principle that no one, including public officials, are above the law
The core American political values
individualism, equality of opportunity, free enterprise, rule of law, limited government
laissez-faire or free enterprise
An economic system in which government intrudes as little as possible in the economic transactions among citizens and businesses.
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.
federal reserve system
a board of governors, Federal Reserve Banks, and member banks responsible for monetary policy
globalization
the increasing interconnectedness of people, businesses, and countries throughout the world
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 population
medicare
a federal program that provides health insurance primarily for individuals aged 65 and older, as well as certain younger people with disabilities
medicaid
a joint federal and state program in the United States that provides health coverage to eligible low-income individuals and families.
command and control economy
An economic system in which the government centrally plans and regulates the production, distribution, and prices of goods and services.
medicare
a federal program that provides health insurance primarily for individuals aged 65 and older and certain younger people with disabilities
consumer price index
measures the average change over time in the prices paid by urban consumers for a market basket of consumer goods and services
gross domestic product
the total monetary value of all finished goods and services produced within a country's borders in a specific time period
economic recession
a significant decline in economic activity across the economy lasting longer than a few months