Chapter 6 Flashcards
public opinion
the distribution of the population’s beliefs about politics and policy issues
demography
the science of population changes
census
an “actual enumeration” of the population, which the Constitution requires the government conduct every 10 years. valuable tool for understanding demographic changes
melting pot
a term often used to characterize the US, with its history of immigration, mixing cultures, ideas, and people.
minority majority
the situation, likely beginning in the mid twenty first century, in which the non-hispanic whites will represent a minority of the US population and minority groups together will represent a majority
political culture
an overall set of values widely shared within a society
reapportionment
The process of reallocating seats in the House of Representatives every 10 years on the basis of the results of the Census.
political socialization
The process through which individuals in a society acquire political attitudes, views, and knowledge, based on input from family, schools, the media, and others.
sample
A relatively small proportion of people who are chosen in a survey so as to be representative of the whole.
random sampling
The key technique employed by survey researchers, which operates on the principle that everyone should have an equal probability of being selected for the sample.
sampling error
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.
random-digit dialing
A technique used by polisters to place telephone calls randomly to both listed and unlisted numbers when conducting a survey.
exit poll
Public opinion surveys used by major media pollsters to predict electoral win-
ners with speed and precision.
political ideology
A coherent set of beliefs about politics, public policy, and public purpose, which helps give meaning to political events.
gender gap
The regular pattern in which women are more likely to support Democratic can-didates, in part because they tend to be less conservative than men and more likely to support spending on social services and to oppose higher levels of military spending.
