Political Ideologies and Beliefs

Question 1

Public Opinion

Answer 1

the opinions/feelings of the people

Question 2

General Public

Answer 2

most americans

Question 3

Characteristics of Public Opinion

Answer 3

Saliency - how important an issue is
Intensity - how strongly people feel about the issue
Stability - public opinion changes over time

Question 4

How is public opinion measured

Answer 4

Public opinion polls

Question 5

Public Opinion Polls

Answer 5

asking questions to a small group to measure the beliefs of the entire population

Question 6

Random Sampling

Answer 6

polling random people that proportionally represent the population

Question 7

Benchmark Poll

Answer 7

conducted by a campaign when a candidate initially announces

Question 8

Tracking Polls

Answer 8

polls performed multiple times with an identical sample to track changes in opinion

Question 9

Entrance Polls

Answer 9

conducted on Election Day when voters are going to polling station to cast vote

Question 10

Exit Polls

Answer 10

randomly poll voters leaving the voting place

Question 11

Stratified Random Sampling

Answer 11

type of random sampling in which the population in divided into subgroups and weighed based on demographic characteristics

Question 12

How should polling questions be written

Answer 12

objectively. mainly stick to closed-ended questions (multiple choice) since they are better quantifiable

Question 13

Accuracy of Polls

Answer 13

polls can’t be 100% accurate

Question 14

Sampling Error

Answer 14

how far off the poll results may be. more respondents = lower sampling error

Question 15

Political Socialization

Answer 15

The process by which people acquire political beliefs and values

Question 16

Factors that influence political beliefs

Answer 16

Family
Location
School
Religious Institutions
Mass Media
If they pursue higher education

Question 17

Ideology

Answer 17

coherent set of thoughts and beliefs about policies and government

Question 18

Types of Ideologies

Answer 18

Conservative - individuals should be responsible for themselves and not rely on government assistance. oppose government interference, federal regulation. Prefer laissez-fair economics (market determines costs)

Liberal - government should be used in a limited way to remedy the social and economic injustices of the marketplace. support government regulation on the economy, affirmative action (policies and programs aimed at promoting equal opportunity and diversity).

Moderate - apply common sense rather than philosophical principles to political problems. less moderates present today

Question 19

Determining Factors in Ideological and Political Behavior

Answer 19

Race/Ethnicity - races in lower income levels more liberal, blacks and hispanics more liberal, cuban Americans more conservative
Religion - Jews and Black Protestants more liberal, catholics socially conservative
Gender - women more liberal
Income Level - higher income brackets support liberal goals but fiscally conservative, poor are more conservative except in social welfare
Region - east coast more liberal, south more conservative, west coast polarized

Question 20

News Media

Answer 20

media in newspapers, social media, etc. can alter public opinion. younger generations rely more on social media

Question 21

Pragmatists

Answer 21

a person who deals with problems or situations by focusing on practical approaches and solutions