American Political Ideologies & Beliefs Test
AMERICAN CORE VALUES
Conservatives and Liberals may disagree on the focus of each core value
Individualism: Favoring the interests and actions of an individual rather than state control
Eg: Freelancers can choose their projects, and how to manage workload, hours, etc
Equal Opportunity: Equal opportunity for success for all people
Eg: Civil Rights Act (1964) made it illegal to discriminate based on race, religion, gender, color, etc, in employment, education, or public services
Free Enterprise: The right to sell, economic system with private businesses mostly free of state control
Eg: The rise of Apple, limited government control allowed them to grow from a small business to one of the most successful companies, able to grow in a market-driven economy, control their own prices, supply and demand, etc
Limited Government: Power limitations on what government can and cannot do
Eg: Separation of Powers, no branch has all the power, they keep each other in check, balance of control
Rule of Law: Political ideal that all people and institutions are accountable under the same laws
Eg: Trump’s impeachment, even the highest government officials need to follow the laws, and failure to do so results in punishment as it would for any other individual
AMERICAN POLITICAL CULTURE
Political Culture: dominant set of beliefs, customs, traditions, and values that define the relationship between citizens and government
Eg: Individualism, freedom of speech, etc
Political Ideology: An individual's coherent set of beliefs about government and politics
Eg: Liberalism, conservatism, Socialism
Political Socialization: The experiences and factors that influence and shape an individual's political values, attitudes, and behaviors
Eg: Family, education, religion, media influence, work, peers
Who? Learns what? From who? Under what circumstance? With what effect?
Laissez-Faire: Free Enterprise, little government control over economic transactions between businesses and citizens
GENERATIONAL & LIFE CYCLE EFFECTS
Generational Effect: The impact of historical events experienced by a generation upon political views. STAYS THE SAME THROUGHOUT LIFE
Eg: Gen Z grew up with social justice movements, and therefore may prioritize issues such as equality, social justice, climate change etc
Life Cycle Effect: The impact of a person’s age and stage in life on their political views
Eg: A college student might prioritize issues such as student loans and job opportunities, while an older adult might prioritize retirement benefits, healthcare, and social security
GLOBALIZATION
Globalization: The increasing interconnectedness of people, businesses, and countries throughout the world
Can be negative too (violence)
Eg: An iPhone is designed in the US, and is made+uses parts from other countries
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
Eg: Companies often manufacture products in other countries such as China and Indonesia
PUBLIC OPINION AND POLLING
Public Opinion: The sum of individual attitudes about government, policies, and issues
Eg: Surveys and polls in many countries have shown that the majority of the population thinks climate change is a major issue caused by human activities
Focus Group: Small group of individuals assembled for conversation about specific issues
Cannot represent the larger population
Scientific Poll: A representative poll of randomly selected respondents with a statistically significant sample size, using neutral language
Sample: A group of individuals from a larger population used to measure public opinion
Random Selection: Method of choosing all poll respondents in a way that does not over or underrepresent any group of the population
Representative Sample: 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
Sampling Error: the margin of error in the poll, which usually is calculated to plus or minus the percent points
NOTE: Surveys allow for anyone to participate and are therefore unreliable
Mass Survey: A survey designed to measure the opinions of the population, usually consisting of 1,500 respondents
Entrance Survey: Poll conducted if people coming into event
Eg: Used to see how many people are planning on voting for one candidate
Exit Poll: Survey conducted outside a polling place in which individuals are asked who or what they just voted for and why
Benchmark Poll: Survey taken at the beginning of political campaign in order to gauge support for candidates and determine important issues to voters
Tracking Polls: Survey determining the level of support for a candidate or an issue throughout campaign
Random Digit Dialing: Use of randomly generated telephone numbers by a computer to select potential survey respondents
NOTE: Internet polls are NOT scientific
3 criticisms of online polling:
Polls are voluntary, therefore sample isn’t random
Respondents do not represent the cross section of all demographic groups
Internet polls do not have a reliable history
Question Order: The sequences of questions in public opinion polls (question progression)
Question Wording: Phrasing of question in public opinion polls
Interviewers and other factors can influence survey results
Push Poll: Not a true poll, but a negative campaign tactic disguised as poll
Negative connotation or misleading, exaggerated wording
Eg: Would you be more or less likely to vote for this Candidate if you know he supported policies that could increase taxes for low and middle class families?
POLITICAL IDEOLOGY
Right: something guaranteed that government can’t take away
Privilege: something a person may obtain or receive, government can take away
Party Ideology: A party’s philosophy about the proper role of government and it’s set of positions on major issues
Party Identification: An individual’s attachment to a political party
Conservatism (Rep): An Ideology favoring more control of social behavior, fewer regulations on businesses, and less government interference in economy
Liberalism (Dem): An ideology favoring less government control over social behavior and more regulation of businesses and economy
Libertarianism: An ideology that favors very little government regulation and intervention beyond protecting private property and individual liberty
HEALTH CARE
Medicare: A federal program that provides health insurance to seniors and disabled
Covers hospitalization, physician services, prescriptions, etc
Medicaid: A federal program that provides healthcare for the poor
Individual Mandate: Requirement for all individuals to get health care insurance or pay fine
ECONOMIC HEALTH
Laissez-Faire Economy: Economic policy in which government intrudes as little as possible in economic transactions
Command and Control Economy: Economic policy where government dictates much of nations acivity, including the amount of production and prices for goods
Mixed Economy: Economic policy in which many decisions are left to individuals and businesses, with government regulating economic activity
GDP (Gross Domestic Product): The total value of goods and services produced by economy
Economic Recession: Period of decline in economic activity, typically defined by two consecutive quarters of negative GDP growth
Unemployment Rate: Percentage of people actively looking for work who cannot find jobs
Inflation: The rise of prices of goods and services
CPI (Consumer Price Index): The cost of a fixed basket of goods and services overtime, used to measure cost of living
POLICYMAKING THEORIES & POLICIES
Keynesianism (John Maynard Keynes): Economic theory advocating for a government intervention. Emphasizes economic managment through public investment
Supply Side Theory: Economic theory that emphasizes boosting economic growth by increasing the supply of goods and services. Advocates for tax cuts, less regulation, etc
Trickle down economics, everyone benefits from wealthy tax cuts
Gov should cut taxes to encourage businesses to grow and taxpayers to spend money
Fiscal Policy: The governments ability to tax and spend
Use of taxes and spending to lower unemployment, support economic growth and stabilize economy
Monetary Policy: Policies that make more money available lead to inflation, too much money
How the government manages the supply and demand of its currency and the value of the dollar (regulate money supply)
Should match growth of money supply to the growth in economic productivity
Federal Reserve System: A board of governors, federal reserve banks, and member banks responsible for monetary policy