Political Culture Flashcards
political culture
basic values and beliefs about a country or government that is shared by most citizens
American democratic values
majority rules/minority rights, equality, private property, individual freedom, compromise, limited government
political socialization
the process by which citizens acquire a sense of political identity. Starts early in childhood, and continues on through life
opinion leaders
individuals held in great respect because of their position
public opinion
collection of shared attitudes of many different people in matters relating to politics, public issues, or policy creation.
straw polls
asking the same question of a large amount of people; often inaccurate
sampling
people chosen to participate must be representative of the general population
sampling error
ways in which the poll results could have been misconstrued; i.e. way the question was asked, type of question, etc.
political ideology
set of beliefs about politics and public policy that creates the structure for looking at government. can change over time
radical
favors rapid, fundamental change, willing to resort to extreme means to do so
liberal
promotes individual welfare and supports civil rights; accepts peaceful political and social change
moderate
has both liberal and conservative views; thought of as tolerant
conservative
favors limited government and traditional values; and supports large funding for national security and armed forces; does not particularly like change
reactionary
advocates a return to a previous state of affairs
