Political Ideologies
Define individualism as a core American political value.
Belief in personal responsibility and autonomy.
The process by which individuals learn and acquire their political beliefs and values is called ________.
Political socialization (it is literally the title of this category)
Most modern polls survey how many people on average?
<2,000
Provide one specific policy associated with the modern Republican economic platform.
Lower taxes; deregulation of businesses; tariffs etc etc
Which demographic usually turns out the the polls most?
A. Young voters
B. Recent immigration status voters
C. Older voters
D. Lower educational attainment voters
C. Oldies
Give an example of a policy aligned with individualism as a core value.
Support for limited welfare programs; emphasis on private-sector solutions; limited government interference with Bill of Rights unless businesses or states infringe on those rights.
Identify two demographic factors that commonly influence a person's political ideology.
Age; race; religion; gender; parents; income; education; media consumption; geography
Literary Digest's 1936 polling blunder can be attributed to what mistake?
Sampling error (they pulled samples only from the wealthiest!)
The economic theory often associated with Democratic support for government intervention in economic downturns is called ___________.
Keynesian Economics
According to some of the charts we've studied, which group showed a higher tendency to support Democratic candidates in recent elections?
A. White evangelical Protestants
B. College-educated voters
C. Rural noncollege voters
D. Older male voters
B. College-educated voters
Contrast "equality of opportunity" with "equality of outcome"
"Opportunity" is having an equal chance at the opportunity for success. "Outcome" is making that success the same for all and dictating opportunities.
T or F: Trends in political ideologies are solid facts.
FALSE
Which poll type is taken continuously to track changes over time?
Tracking poll
How are benchmark polls used?
Candidates test messages and see where they stand with the public.
Analyzing voter turnout by state helps political scientists examine what kind of demographic differences in civic participation?
Geographic differences
Which ideology most consistently supports limited government intervention in both economic and social policy?
A. Progressive
B. Libertarian
C. Social Democrat
D. Populist
B. Libertarian
Which agent of political socialization is generally considered the most influential in early childhood?
A. Media
B. Schools
C. Family
D. Peers
Fam
A poll result with a 95% confidence interval and a 3-point margin of error means the pollster expects the true value to fall within + or - 3 percentage points in _______% of repeated samples.
95%
The economic theory often associated with Republican support for lower taxes and reduced regulation is called _____________.
Supply Side Economics (or Reaganomics or Trickle Down)
What is a limitation of exit polls?
They are not scientific; they are not random samples
Name the five shared values of all Americans.
Individualism; limited government; equality of opportunity; freedom/liberty; rule of law
Which civic value is likely instilled through socialization in schools?
A. Partisan loyalty
B. Individualism
C. Populism
D. Rule of Law
D. Rule of Law
List two best practices when writing poll questions to reduce bias.
Forced choice questions; likert-scale type questions; avoid double negatives; use unbiased wording; order questions thoughtfully; frame questions with neutrality; avoid yes/no.
Describe a policy that might place a voter with "fiscally conservative, socially liberal" views closer to a third party than to the two major parties.
Support for low taxes with protection of LGBTQ rights.
How can socioeconomic status influence party preference?
Wealthy might favor more Republican policies as they protect individual wealth; lower SES may favor more Democratic policies as they attempt to redistribute wealth.