Key Terms
Theories
Politicians and Polling
Political Ideology
Political Parties
100

statistical data relating to particular groups that share common characteristics.

What are demographics?

100
Term used to describe the make up of the U.S. with its mixed cultures, ideas, and peoples.
What is the American Melting Pot?
100

Candidates use these to understand public preferences

What are polls?

100
Political ideology that promotes a stronger central government and a wide scope for the central government.
What is the liberal ideology
100

a set of policies and ideas that a political party promotes.

What is a platform?

200

Opinions formed on the spot (rather than a deeply held belief)

What is a latent opinion?

200
Women voting more liberally and men voting more conservatively.
What is the gender gap.
200
People support a candidate because they see others are supporting them.
What is the bandwagon effect?
200
This demographic of people tend to identify themselves more with the liberal ideology over the conservative ideology.
What are younger people.
200

 two functions of political parties

What are raise money, promote candidates, give cues to voters, set platforms, and run campaigns?

300
The process through which individuals in society acquire political attitudes, views, and knowledge, based on inputs from family, schools, the media and others
What is political socialization?
300

The idea that many citizens are moving away from moderate positions and toward more extreme positions.

What is political polarization?

300

how close we can reasonably expect a survey result to fall relative to the whole population.

What is margin of error?

300
This group of people are more likely to support spending on social services, oppose higher levels of military spending, and support the liberal ideology.
Who are women
300
when voting you don't just vote party but you vote based on the individual which may lead to supporting candidate from different parties.

What is ticket splitting?

400
Relatively small proportion of people who are chosen in a survey so as to be representative of the whole group being studied.
What is a sample?
400

all people are given an equal chance to compete in American society.

What is equality of opportunity?

400

three key factors in determining the reliability of a poll.

What are random sampling, neutral questions, reporting of results, and polls sponsor?

400
Party in government that believes the scope of American Government has become to wide range.
What is Republican party
400

The shifting of groups of people (coalitions) that once supported a particular party is now supporting a different political party.

What is party realignment?

500

actions taken by the federal reserve to influence interest rates to maximize employment

What is monetary policy?

500
A large amount of the population is reaching the age to access Social Secuirty, and fertility rate per women is dropping, the ratio of worker to retiree is dropping.
What is the "Graying of America" or "Aging America"
500

reasons polling has become less accurate and predictable over the last few election cycles.

What are lack of response, close elections, shifting demographics?
500
This group of people tend to be more conservative in their views.
Who are older Americans.
500

an electoral "earthquake" when new issues and coalitions emerge leading to a new party era. (FDR 1932)

What is a critical election?

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