Elections & Political Socialization Vocab

Question 1

conservative ideology

Answer 1

generally advocate for the preservation of personal wealth and private ownership (Capitalism) and emphasize self-reliance and Individualism

Question 1

liberal ideology

Answer 1

generally advocates for government action in protecting and enhancing the freedom of the individual

Question 2

libertarian ideology

Answer 2

wishes to maximize personal liberty on both economic and social issues. Prefers small, weak government that hs limited control over economy or personal lives

Question 3

party-line voting

Answer 3

voting only for candidates of a given party

Question 4

prospective voting

Answer 4

voting based on what a candidate states they will do

Question 5

rational choice voting

Answer 5

voting based on what is an individual’s best interest

Question 6

retrospective voting

Answer 6

voting based on a candidate’s past actions

Question 7

proportional voting

Answer 7

a party gains representation based on the proportion of votes it wins

Question 8

winner-take-all-voting

Answer 8

a party must win the majority of the votes to get any representation

Question 9

sue network

Answer 9

an alliance of various interest groups and individuals who unite to promote a common cause or agenda in a way that influences government policy

Question 10

iron triangle

Answer 10

a mutually beneficial, three-way relationship between Congress, government bureaucrats, and special interest lobby groups

Question 11

opinion polls

Answer 11

interviews or surveys with samples of citizens that are used to estimate the feelings and beliefs of the entire population

Question 12

benchmark or tracking polls

Answer 12

continuous surveys of a consistent group that enables a campaign or news organization to chart a candidate’s daily rise or fall in support

Question 13

entrance and exit polls

Answer 13

election-related questions asked of voters right before or right after they vote

Question 14

identification of respondents

Answer 14

how they find and determine who gets surveyed

Question 15

mass survey

Answer 15

traditional pol

Question 16

focus group

Answer 16

small group of people who are asked about candidates and issues in a discussion

Question 17

sampling error

Answer 17

the difference between the results of random samples taken at the same time

Question 18

horse races

Answer 18

based more on popularity and factors other than the qualifications and platforms of candidates

Question 19

wagon effect

Answer 19

a shift in electoral support to the candidate when public opinion polls report as the front-runner

Question 20

globalization

Answer 20

absorbing the values of other countries

Question 21

generational effect

Answer 21

a long-lasting effect of the events of a particular time on the political opinions of those who came of political age at that time

Question 22

life cycle effects

Answer 22

changes in opinions or patterns of behavior that occur among most people at major points in their life like marriage, parenthood, or retirement

Question 23

incumbency advantage phenomenon

Answer 23

incumbents usually win because of easier access to money, franking privileges, name recognition, etc.

Question 24

open primary

Answer 24

a primary election in which voters can vote for candidates from any party they choose

Question 25

closed primary

Answer 25

a primary election in which voters must first declare to which party they belong

Question 26

caucus

Answer 26

a system of local gatherings where votes decide which candidate to support and select delegates for nominating conventions