Unit 4 - American Political Ideologies and Beliefs

Question 1

political culture

Answer 1

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

Question 2

individualism

Answer 2

the belief that individuals should be responsible for themselves and for the decision they make

Question 3

affordable care act

Answer 3

expand access to insurance, increase consumer protections, emphasize prevention and wellness, improve quality and system performance

Question 4

benchmark poll

Answer 4

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

Question 5

command-and-control economy

Answer 5

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

Question 6

conservatism

Answer 6

an ideology favoring more regulation of social behavior and less government interference in the economy

Question 7

critical election

Answer 7

a major national election that signals a change in the balance of power between the two parties

Question 8

divided government

Answer 8

a situation that occurs when control of the presidency and one or both chambers of congress is split between the two major parties

Question 9

economic recession

Answer 9

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

Question 10

entrance survey

Answer 10

a poll conducted of people coming to an event

Question 11

exit poll

Answer 11

a survey conducted outside a polling place in which individuals are asked who or what they just voted for and why

Question 12

federal reserve system

Answer 12

a board of governors, federal reserve banks, and member banks responsible for monetary policy

Question 13

fiscal policy

Answer 13

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

Question 14

focus group

Answer 14

a small group of individuals assembled for a conversation about specific issues

Question 15

generational effect

Answer 15

the impact of historical events experienced by a generation upon their political views

Question 16

globalization

Answer 16

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

Question 17

gross domestic product

Answer 17

the total value of goods and services produced by an economy

Question 18

inflation

Answer 18

the rise in the prices of goods and services

Question 19

laissez-faire economy

Answer 19

economic system in which government intrudes as little as possible in the transactions among citizens and businesses

Question 20

laissez-faire economy

Answer 20

economic system in which government intrudes as little as possible in the transactions among citizens and businesses

Question 20

laissez-faire economy / free enterprise

Answer 20

economic system in which government intrudes as little as possible in the transactions among citizens and businesses

Question 21

liberalism

Answer 21

an ideology favoring less government control over social behavior and greater regulation of the economy

Question 22

libertarianism

Answer 22

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

Question 23

life cycle effect

Answer 23

an impact of a person’s age and stage in life on his or her political views

Question 24

mass survey

Answer 24

a survey designed to measure the opinions of the population, usually consisting of 1500 responses

Question 25

medicaid

Answer 25

a federal program that provides health care for the poor

Question 26

medicare

Answer 26

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

Question 27

mixed economy

Answer 27

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

Question 28

monetary policy

Answer 28

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

Question 29

outsourcing

Answer 29

when a company moves its business to a place where labor costs are cheaper of productions is more efficient because workers work longer hours

Question 30

party identification

Answer 30

an individual's attachment to a political party

Question 31

party ideology

Answer 31

a party's philosophy about the proper role of government and its consistent set of positions on major issues

Question 32

party platform

Answer 32

a set of positions and policy objectives that members of a political party agree to

Question 33

political socialization

Answer 33

the experiences and factors that shape out political values, attitudes, and behaviors

Question 34

question order

Answer 34

the sequencing of questions in public opinion polls

Question 35

question wording

Answer 35

the phrasing of a question in a public opinion poll

Question 36

random digit dialing

Answer 36

the use of telephone numbers randomly generated by a computer to select potential survey respondents

Question 37

random selection

Answer 37

a method of choosing all poll respondents in a way that does not over- or underrepresent any group of the population

Question 38

realignment

Answer 38

when the groups of people who support a political party shift their allegiance to a different political party

Question 39

representative sample

Answer 39

a sample that reflects the demographics of the population

Question 40

rights

Answer 40

something fundamental to which all have access

Question 41

privilege

Answer 41

something subject to political process

Question 42

rule of law

Answer 42

the principle that no one, including public officials, is above the law

Question 43

sample

Answer 43

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

Question 44

sampling error

Answer 44

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

Question 45

scientific poll

Answer 45

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

Question 46

split-ticket voting

Answer 46

voting for candidates from different parties in the same election

Question 47

straight-ticket voting

Answer 47

voting for all of the candidates on the ballot from one political party

Question 48

third parties

Answer 48

a minor political party in competition with the two major parties

Question 49

tracking poll

Answer 49

a survey determining the level of support for a candidate or an issue throughout a campaign

Question 50

unemployment rate

Answer 50

the percentage of people actively looking for work who cannot find jobs

Question 51

weighting

Answer 51

a procedure in which the survey is adjusted according to the demographics of the larger population