The Political Spectrum
Name our two major political parties.
Democrat and Republican
Name ONE reason why politicians do public opinion polling.
Find out issues that are important to electorate, where to stand on policy, how they are doing in a race, etc.
In general, the (higher/lower) education one has, the more likely they are to vote.
Higher
Political socialization is the process by which we gain our beliefs and attitudes.
Who or what is MOST responsible for our political socialization?
family
About what percent of voting-eligible Americans vote in presidential elections?
60-ish
What is the MAIN DIFFERENCE between the two major political parties in the U.S.?
Their belief in the relative size of government
What type of sample is desired in public opinion polling?
Random
Historically speaking, for which party would a 45 year old white male businessman tend to vote?
Republican
A widely held belief such as equality of opportunity, individual freedom, or representative democracy is known as what?
Manifest opinion
A member of which third/minor party would be likely to support lower taxes and abortion rights?
Libertarian
Which ideology (liberal or conservative) might favor policies such as increased government funding for welfare and increased regulations?
Liberal
What is the best predictor of HOW someone will vote in an election?
Partisan identification
The lower one's socioeconomic status, the (more/less) likely they are to vote.
less
If you hold the belief that you can make a difference in politics through your participation, you have a high level of what?
political efficacy
What is the MOST LIKELY way that someone will participate in politics?
Vote in presidential election
The U.S. has (more/fewer) elections than most other countries, and our voter turnout is (higher/lower) than most other countries.
More and Lower
These polls are continuous surveys that enable a campaign or news organization to chart a candidate's daily rise or fall in support
tracking
The lowest turnout of voters is in which general age group?
Young (18-24)
If children join a different political party than their parents, that decision is MOST OFTEN influenced by (religious/economic/ethnic) issues.
Economic
The goal of this piece of legislation was to increase voter registration by allowing people to register to vote at the DMV (Secretary of State) when applying for or renewing their drivers license.
National Voter Registration Act of 1993
"Motor Voter" law
The largest number of Americans would identify themselves politically as what?
Moderate/independent
What is an exit poll?
Give ONE reason why they may be considered unreliable.
A poll used to measure how people voted immediately after they voted.
Since the 1960s, the Democratic party has lost much of their stronghold in which region due to party realignment?
The South
What is the main cause for regional trends voting trends becoming less stable, particularly in the Sun Belt?
(Reinforcing/Cross-Cutting) cleavages typically help to create a less politically divisive society.
Cross-Cutting