Unit 4: American Political Ideologies and Beliefs

Question 1

American political culture

Answer 1

The values that influence individuals’ attitudes and beliefs about the relationship between citizens and the federal government.

Question 2

equality of opportunity

Answer 2

The belief that each person should have the same opportunities to advance in society.

Question 3

free enterprise

Answer 3

The belief in the right to compete freely in a market government by supply and demand with limited government involvement.

Question 4

Ideology

Answer 4

The beliefs and ideas that help to shape political opinion and policy.

Question 5

Individualism

Answer 5

The principle of valuing individual rights over those of the government, with a strong emphasis on individual initiative and responsibility.

Question 6

limited government

Answer 6

A political system in which there are restrictions placed on the government to protect individual rights and liberties.

Question 7

rule of law

Answer 7

The principle that government is based on a body of law applied equally and fairly to every citizen, not on the whims of those in charge, and that no one is above the law, including the government.

Question 8

demographic characteristics

Answer 8

Socioeconomic characteristics of a population, including age, race, gender, religion, marital status, occupation, education level, and more. These characteristics influence how individuals tend to vote and whether they identify with a political party,

Question 9

Globalization

Answer 9

The growth of an interconnected world economy and culture, fueled by lowered trade barriers between nations and advances in communications technology. Globalization has influenced American politics by increasing the extent to which the United States influences, and is influenced by, the values of other countries,

Question 10

party identification

Answer 10

An individual’s sense of loyalty to a specific political party

Question 11

political socialization

Answer 11

The process by which a person develops political values and beliefs, including through interactions with family, friends, school, religious and civic groups, and the media.

Question 12

Gender

Answer 12

Women are statistically more likely to identify as a Democrat. Men statistically more likely to identify as a Republican

Question 13

Income level

Answer 13

Low-income individuals are more likely to identify as a democrat. High-income individuals are more likely to identify as a republican.

Question 14

Marital Status

Answer 14

Single, divorced, or widowed individuals are statistically more likely to identify as democrat. Married individuals are statistically more likely to identify as a republican.

Question 15

Employment

Answer 15

Blue-collar workers are statistically more likely to identify as a democrat. White Collar workers are statistically more likely to identify as a republican.

Question 16

Race

Answer 16

African Americans and Hispanic Americans are statistically more likely to identify as a democrat. Whites are statistically more likely to identify as a republican.

Question 17

Religion

Answer 17

Jews, those unaffiliated with a religion are statistically more likely to identify as a
Democrat. Protestants, catholics are statistically more likely to identify as republicans.

Question 18

Region

Answer 18

Northeasterners, Westerners are Statistically more likely to identify as a Democrat. Midwesterners, Southerners are Statistically more likely to identify as republicans.

Question 19

Age

Answer 19

Young and older Americans are Statistically more likely to identify as a Democrat. Middle-aged Americans are statistically likely to identify as a Republican.

Question 20

Union Membership

Answer 20

Union members are Statistically more likely to identify as a Democrat. Non-Union members are Statistically more likely to identify as a republicans.

Question 21

Parental Politics

Answer 21

Parents Strongly aligned with the Democracy party Statistically more likely to identify as a democrat. Parents strongly aligned with the Republican party Statistically more likely to identify as a Republican.

Question 22

Generational effects

Answer 22

experiences shared by a group of people who came of age together (generational cohorts, such as baby boomers or millennials) that affect their political attitudes; wars and economic recessions that hit one generation particularly hard have lasting effects on the political attitudes of that generation as its members progress through life

Question 23

Lifecycle effects

Answer 23

changes over the course of an individual’s lifetime, which affect their political attitudes and participation; as individuals develop from young people to adults to senior citizens, their concerns and values change

Question 24

Period effects

Answer 24

major events and social trends that affect the political attitudes of the entire population; for example, the terrorist attacks on September 11 and the Watergate scandal had lasting effects on the political attitudes of those who lived through them

Question 25

formative age

Answer 25

Young adulthood, between ages 18 and 24, when many people form long-lasting political attitudes.

Question 26

party realignment

Answer 26

A sharp change in the issues or voting blocs that a party represents.

Question 27

public opinion

Answer 27

How people feel about issues, candidates, and public officials. Polls are a common way to measure public opinion.

Question 28

Population

Answer 28

A group of people that a researcher wants to study. This might be a large group, such as all voting-age citizens in the United States, or a smaller group like members of a club or church.

Question 29

Sample

Answer 29

The group of people a researcher surveys to gauge the whole population’s opinion. Researchers study samples because it’s impossible to interview everyone in a population.

Question 30

sampling technique

Answer 30

The process by which pollsters select respondents to a survey or the sample population for a poll.

Question 31

sampling error

Answer 31

The predicted difference between the average opinion expressed by survey respondents and the average opinion in the population; also called the margin of error. As the sample size increases, the margin of error decreases.

Question 32

random sample

Answer 32

A random selection from a population, random sampling techniques ensures an equal probability of individuals being selected for a survey or poll.

Question 32

representative sample

Answer 32

A relatively small number of respondents who accurately reflect the variety of opinions, demographics, etc. in the broader population. In political science, a representative sample is usually between 400 and 2,000 respondents.

Question 33

benchmark polls

Answer 33

Polls conducted by a campaign as a race for office begins. These polls provide the campaign with a basis for comparison for later polls, so that the candidate can see if their likelihood of winning the office is increasing or decreasing.

Question 34

opinion polls

Answer 34

A poll taken by sampling a small section of the public in an effort to predict election results or to estimate public attitudes on issues.

Question 35

entrance polls

Answer 35

Performed on Election Day, these surveys are taken as voters enter their voting location.

Question 35

tracking polls

Answer 35

A survey performed repeatedly with the same group of people to check and measure changes of opinion.

Question 36

exit polls

Answer 36

Performed on Election Day, these surveys are taken as voters exit their voting location. Media outlets often rely on exit polls to determine election results, even before the ballots have been counted.

Question 37

mass survey

Answer 37

The most common type of survey; a way to measure public opinion by interviewing a large sample of the population.

Question 38

focus group

Answer 38

A small, demographically-diverse group of people assembled for an in-depth group discussion. Researchers study the group’s reactions to an idea or candidate in order to gauge how the broader public might react.

Question 39

improper sampling techniques

Answer 39

Samples should be random, otherwise poll results might not accurately represent the target population.

Question 40

biased questions

Answer 40

It’s tough for questions to be truly unbiased, but questions framed to portray candidates or policies in a positive or negative light can strongly influence responses.

Question 41

small sample size

Answer 41

The smaller the sample size, the larger the margin of error. A survey of ten people is unlikely to turn up results consistent with the preferences of the entire population of the United States. Mass surveys usually have a sample size of at least 1000 individuals.

Question 42

large or unreported sampling error

Answer 42

The results from a sample won’t exactly represent a population. This is called sampling error, and the likely size of the error is called the margin of error. Researchers should report their poll’s margin of error. If a poll reports that 58% of Americans prefer a candidate, but the margin of error is 10%, researchers should not conclude that the majority of Americans prefer the candidate (since the true percentage could be as little as 48%).

Question 43

lack of transparency in methods

Answer 43

Reliable polls publish the methods by which researchers collected the data. Without this information, it’s impossible to judge whether the researchers followed scientific procedures.

Question 44

conservative ideology

Answer 44

Conservatives tend to believe that government should be small, operating mainly at the state or local level. They favor minimal government interference in the economy and prefer private sector-based solutions to problems. “Social conservatives” believe that government should uphold traditional morality, and therefore should impose restrictions on contraception, abortion, and same-sex marriage. Conservatives are said to fall on the “right wing” of the axis of political beliefs, a convention that dates from the place where conservatives sat in assembly during the French Revolution.

Question 45

Democratic Party

Answer 45

One of the two main political parties in the United States. Founded in 1828 by supporters of Andrew Jackson, the Democratic Party is the world’s oldest active political party. Although its platform has transformed many times over the years, today the core values of the Democratic Party align with liberal ideology.

Question 46

liberal ideology

Answer 46

The definition of liberalism has changed over time, but modern-day liberals tend to believe that government should intervene in the economy and provide a broad range of social services to ensure well-being and equality across society. Liberals usually believe that the government should not regulate private sexual or social behaviors. They are said to fall on the “left wing” of the axis of political beliefs, a convention that dates from the place where supporters of the revolution sat in assembly during the French Revolution.

Question 47

progressive ideology

Answer 47

‘Progressive' is used interchangeably with 'liberal' by many today; others argue that the two terms are distinct. Those who consider the terms separate may say that liberals believe in protecting previously disadvantaged groups from discrimination, while progressives believe it’s the government’s job to address past wrongs and reform the systemic issues that caused those disadvantages in the first place.

Question 48

Republican Party

Answer 48

One of the two main political parties in the United States. Founded in 1854 by anti-slavery activists, the Republican Party’s platform has also transformed over the years to address issues of concern to its constituents. Today, the core values of the Republican Party align with conservative ideology

Question 49

Communitarian

Answer 49

Communitarians tend to support legislation that emphasizes the needs of communities over the rights of the individual. They are likely to be economically liberal, but socially conservative.

Question 50

Green Party

Answer 50

The fourth-largest party in the United States. Founded in 2001, the Green Party favors a strong federal government. Its candidates often run on a platform of grassroots democracy, nonviolence, social justice, and environmentalism.

Question 51

Libertarian Party, libertarian ideology

Answer 51

The third-largest party in the United States. Founded in 1971 by people who felt that the Republican and Democratic parties no longer represented the libertarian intentions of the Founders; libertarians favor limited government intervention in personal, social, and economic issues.

Question 52

Nationalists

Answer 52

Nationalists tend to promote the interests of their nation, and often believe in the superiority of their nation over others.

Question 53

policy mood

Answer 53

A measure of the public's preferences toward policy choices.

Question 54

position issue

Answer 54

An issue that divides voters, such as gun control or the death penalty.

Question 55

valence issue

Answer 55

An issue most voters will agree with, such as economic prosperity or caring for the elderly.

Question 56

fiscal policy

Answer 56

Government decisions about how to influence the economy by taxing and spending

Question 57

monetary policy

Answer 57

Government decisions about how to influence the economy using control of the money supply and interest rates.

Question 58

The Federal Reserve

Answer 58

Also called “The Fed.” An independent federal agency that determines US monetary policy with the goal of stabilizing the banking system and promoting economic growth.

Question 59

Keynesian economics

Answer 59

An economic philosophy that encourages government spending (through the creation of jobs or the distribution of unemployment benefits) in order to promote economic growth.

Question 60

supply-side economics

Answer 60

An economic philosophy that encourages tax cuts and deregulation in order to promote economic growth.

Question 61

Government intervention

Answer 61

regulatory actions taken in order to affect decision made by individuals, groups, or organizations regarding social and economic matters.

Question 62

individual liberties

Answer 62

Personal freedoms that the government cannot abridge, particularly those guarantees found in the Bill of Rights.

Question 63

right to privacy

Answer 63

The right to be free of government scrutiny into one’s private beliefs and behavior.

Question 64

social policy

Answer 64

Public policy related to health care, human services, criminal justice, inequality, education, and labor.