AP Gov midterm #2 (chapter 6)

Question 1

what is public opinion

Answer 1

The distribution of the populations’ belief about politics and policy issues

Question 2

why is public opinion important

Answer 2

It guides government action, influences public policy, gives feedback to politicians. It gives self rule in democracy.

Question 3

what is political socialization

Answer 3

the learning process through which individuals acquire their political opinions, beliefs and values in any society.

Question 4

what are political socialization groups

Answer 4

family, educational institutions, peers, churches and religion, professional bodies, and political institutions.

Question 5

what political socialization group is the most impactful

Answer 5

The family is considered the most influential agent in political socialization,

Question 6

what is ideology

Answer 6

An ideology is a set of opinions or beliefs of a group or an individual

Question 7

what beliefs do conservatives have

Answer 7

Conservatives tend to favor less government involvement in the economy, preferring free
market forces to dictate prices, wages, recession, and expansion. Conservatives tend to favor
more government involvement in social issues. Regulating abortion, upholding moral standards
based on majority religious views, and regulating speech to keep good order are issue stances
generally preferred by conservatives. (more republican party affiliated)

Question 8

what beliefs do liberals have

Answer 8

Liberals tend to favor government action, especially at the federal level, in regulating the
economy and providing necessities for those who need it. Examples of liberal programs include Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, SNAP, and unemployment benefits. Liberals tend to favor individual freedom on social issues, preferring less government involvement in private lives and a broader freedom of speech, association, etc. (more democratic party affiliated)

Question 9

conservative vs liberal

Answer 9

While conservatism resist change and tolerate social inequality liberalism embrace change and reject inequality

Question 10

what is the representative sample

Answer 10

a representative sample is asubset of the larger population that match the characteristic of the larger population. These samples are more difficult to create but can lead to more accurate analysis, especially for a large study

Question 11

why are representative samples important

Answer 11

these samples are important becasue only a representative sample can be used to make trustworthy inferences about the population.

Question 12

what is sampling error

Answer 12

this is an error when that occurs when the analyst selects a sample that is not representative of the population being studied

Question 13

margin of error

Answer 13

Polls have a margin of error that varies from poll to poll depending on the size of the sample
taken. If a poll has a margin of error of +/– 3%, then each number in the poll could be 3% more
or 3% less than the number.

Question 14

what is polling

Answer 14

Polling is the scientific measure of
public opinion and is performed by collecting opinions from a randomly collected sample of
individuals who are representative of the larger group. While not perfect, public opinion polling
can provide a sense of where public opinion is at a given moment in time. There are many types of polls

Question 15

what are the 4 different types of polling

Answer 15

1) benchmark polling
2) Tracking polls
3) Entrance polls
4) Exit polls

Question 16

what are benchmark polls

Answer 16

Benchmark polls take a snapshot of the public opinion at any given time. These polls are
often used to determine public feelings on certain issues and about certain candidates.
They are usually performed over a 3–4-day period.

Question 17

what are tracking polls

Answer 17

Tracking polls are done continuously over a given period of time to measure how public
opinion is changing from day to day, week to week, month to month, or even year to
year.

Question 18

what are entrance polls

Answer 18

Entrance polls ask voters how they intend to vote prior to their entering their polling places.

Question 19

what are exit polls

Answer 19

Exit polls ask voters how they voted once the voter has left the voting place.

Question 20

what is the census

Answer 20

The census tells us our population and where we are going as a nation, and helps our communities determine where to build everything from schools to supermarkets, and from homes to hospitals. It helps the government decide how to distribute funds and assistance to states and localities.

Question 21

how often does the census occur

Answer 21

the census happens every 10 years