Untitled Flashcard Set
Political Culture: Widely shared beliefs, values, and norms about government and politics.
Individualism: The belief that people are responsible for their own success.
Equality of Opportunity: The idea that everyone should have the same chance to succeed.
Free Enterprise: An economic system with little government interference in business.
Rule of Law: The principle that everyone must follow the law, including leaders.
Limited Government: The belief that government power should be restricted.
Political Socialization: The process by which people form their political beliefs.
Family: The strongest early influence on political party identification.
School: Teaches civic values, patriotism, and political knowledge.
Peers: Friends and social groups that influence attitudes, especially on social issues.
Media: A major source of political information that shapes opinions.
Religion: Influences beliefs on moral and social issues.
Life Events: Major experiences like jobs, marriage, or economic changes that shift beliefs.
Public Opinion: The collective attitudes of citizens about government and politics.
Likely Voters: People most likely to vote and most influential to politicians.
Political Participation: Actions citizens take to influence government and politics.
Scientific Poll: A poll using random sampling to accurately measure public opinion.
Random Sampling: Selecting people so everyone has an equal chance of being chosen.
Exit Poll: A poll taken after people vote asking who they voted for.
Tracking Poll: A poll that measures changes in opinion over time.
Sampling Error: The margin of error due to surveying only part of the population.
Wording Effects: When question phrasing influences poll answers.
Nonresponse Bias: Error when certain groups don’t respond to polls.
Push Poll: A fake poll meant to influence opinions rather than measure them.
Political Ideology: A set of beliefs about government and public policy.
Liberal: Supports more government action to promote equality and social programs.
Conservative: Supports limited government, free markets, and traditional values.
Libertarian: Supports very limited government in both economic and personal matters.
Moderate: Holds a mix of liberal and conservative views.
Democratic Party: Major party generally associated with liberal ideology.
Republican Party: Major party generally associated with conservative ideology.
Ideological Polarization: The growing divide between liberal and conservative beliefs.
Fiscal Policy: Government policy involving taxes and spending.
Monetary Policy: Federal Reserve policy controlling money supply and interest rates.
Progressive Tax: A tax system where higher incomes are taxed at higher rates.
Supply-Side Economics: The idea that lower taxes and less regulation encourage economic growth.
Regulation: Government rules placed on businesses to protect the public.
Free Market: An economy with little government control where supply and demand set prices.
Entitlement Program: A government program guaranteeing benefits to those who qualify.
Social Welfare: Government programs that help the poor, elderly, or disadvantaged.
Safety Net: Programs designed to protect people from economic hardship.
Majoritarian Policy Making: Policies created to reflect the will of the majority.
Pluralist Theory: The idea that many groups compete to influence government policy.
Economic Policy: Government policy on taxes, spending, and business regulation.
Social Policy: Government policy on issues like healthcare, education, and civil rights.
Equality vs Equity: Equality means everyone gets the same; equity means resources are based on need.
Policy Debate: Disagreements between political groups over what the government should do.