ch. 6 Public Opinion &Political Action Flashcards
the distribution of the populations beliefs about the politics and policy issues
public opinion
the science of population changes.
demography
valuable tool for understanding demographic changes. The Constitution requires that the government conduct an “actual enumeration” of the population every 10 years.
census
the mixing of cultures, ideas, and peoples that has changed American nation. The United States, with its history of immigration, has often been called a melting pot.
melting pot
the emergence of a non Caucasian majority, as compared with a white, generally anglo-saxon majority. It is predicted that by about 2060, Hispanic Americans, African Americans, and Asian Americans together will outnumber white Americans.
minority majority
the process of reallocating seats in the House of Representatives every 10 years on the basis of the results of the census.
reapportionment
and over all set of values widely shared within a society.
political culture
According to Richard Dawson, “the process through which an individual acquires his [or her] particular political orientations- his [or her] knowledge, feelings, and evaluations regarding his [or her] political world.”
political socialization
a relatively small proportion of people who are chosen in a service so as to be representative of the whole.
sample
the key technique employed by sophisticated survey researchers, which operates on the principle that everyone should have a probability of being selected for the sample.
random sampling
the level of confidence in the findings of a public opinion poll. The more people interviewed, the more confident one can be of the results.
sampling error
a technique used to by pollsters to place telephone calls randomly to both listed and enlisted members when conducting a survey.
random digit dialing
public opinion surveys used by major media pollsters to predict electoral winners with speed and precision
exit polls
a coherent set of beliefs about politics, public policy, and public purpose. It helps give meaning to political events, personalities, and policies. She also liberalism and conservatism.
political ideology
A term that refers to the regular pattern by which women are more likely to support the Democratic candidates. Women tend to be significantly less conservative than men and are more likely to support spending on social services and to oppose higher levels of military spending.
gender gap
