Chapter 6 Vocab- Public Opinion and Political Action Flashcards
Census
A valuable tool for understanding demographic changes.
Demography
The science of population changes.
Melting pot
The mixing of cultures, ideas, and people that has changed the American nation.
Minority majority
The emergence of a non-Caucasian majority, as compared with a white, generally Anglo-Saxon majority.
Reapportionment
The process of relocating seats in the House of Representatives every 10 years on the basis of the results of the census.
Political culture
An overall set of values widely shared with society
Political socialization
The process through which an individual acquires his or her particular political orientation
Sample
Small proportion of people who are chosen any survey so as to be representative of the whole.
Random sampling
The key technique employed by sophisticated 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.
Random digit dialing
A technique used by the pollsters 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 elect oral winners with speed and precision.
Political ideology
A coherent set of beliefs about politics, public policy, and public purpose.
Gender gap
A term that refers to the regular pattern by which women are more likely to support Democratic candidates.
Political participation
All the activities used by citizens to influence the selection of political leaders or the policies they pursue.
