Unit 2

Question 1

Political culture

Answer 1

Overall set of values widely shared within a society

Question 2

Political ideology

Answer 2

Th coherent set of values and beliefs about the purpose and scope of government held by groups and individuals

Question 3

Equality of opportunity

Answer 3

a stipulation that all people should be treated similarly, unhampered by artificial barriers or prejudices or preferences, except when particular distinctions can be explicitly justified

Question 4

Equality of results

Answer 4

Reducing material inequalities in households, economic conditions of lives are similar

Question 5

Civic duty

Answer 5

The responsibilities of a citizen.

Question 6

Political efficacy

Answer 6

the citizens’ faith and trust in government and their belief that they can understand and influence political affairs. It is commonly measured by surveys

Question 7

Middle America

Answer 7

The middle class of America

Question 8

Silent majority

Answer 8

A term used by President Richard Nixon to indicate his belief that the great body of Americans supported his policies and that those who demonstrated against the involvement of the United States in the Vietnam War amounted to only a noisy minority

Question 9

Social status (socio-economic status SES)

Answer 9

an economic and sociological combined total measure of a person’s work experience and of an individual’s or family’s economic and social position in relation to others, based on income, education, and occupation.

Question 10

Political socialization

Answer 10

The process through which individuals acquire their political beliefs and desires

Question 11

Gender gap

Answer 11

the discrepancy in opportunities, status, attitudes, etc., between men and women.

Question 12

Liberal

Answer 12

One who favors governmental involvement in the economy and in the provision of social services and who takes an activist role in protecting the rights of women, the elderly, minorities, and the environment.

Question 13

Conservative

Answer 13

One who believes that a government is best who governs least and big government should not infringe on individual, personal, and economic rights

Question 14

Libertarian

Answer 14

One who believes in limited government and no interference in personal liberties

Question 15

Populist

Answer 15

A member or adherent of a political party seeking to represent the interests of ordinary people.

Question 16

John Q. Public

Answer 16

a generic name in the United States to denote a hypothetical member of society deemed a “ common man.” He is presumed to represent the randomly selected “man on the street.”

Question 17

Social contract

Answer 17

an actual or hypothetical agreement among the members of an organized society or between a community and its ruler that defines and limits the rights and duties of each

Question 18

Political elite

Answer 18

the most informed, educated and politically active people who have a strong influence on public officials.

Question 19

Random sample

Answer 19

A sample where every person has an equal chance of being selected

Question 20

Sampling error

Answer 20

Level of confidence in the findings of a public opinion poll, i.e. sample doesn’t fully represent US

Question 21

Push polls

Answer 21

Polls taken for the purpose of providing information on an opponent that would lead respondents to vote against that candidate

Question 22

Bandwagon effect

Answer 22

When people go along with an idea because other people agree with it even if you don’t.

Question 23

Refusal poll

Answer 23

When the person answering the poll dos not the respond

Question 24

Exit polls

Answer 24

Used by the media to predict Election Day winners

Question 25

Tracking poll

Answer 25

Continuous surveys that enable a campaign or news organization to chart candidates daily rise and fall in support

Question 26

Skewed question

Answer 26

A question that is asked in a way to make on answer more likely to be picked

Question 27

Context effect

Answer 27

aspect of cognitive psychology that describes the influence of environmental factors on one’s perception of a stimulus

Question 28

Opinion-policy congruence

Answer 28

when government is in sync with popular views on some issues, but not on others

Question 29

Pluralist theory

Answer 29

The theory that political power is distributed among a wide array of diverse and competing interest groups

Question 30

Class (elite) theory

Answer 30

a theory of the state which seeks to describe and explain the power relationships in contemporary society

Question 31

Hyperpluralism

Answer 31

A theory that asserts that too many groups are getting too much of what they want, resulting in a government policy that is often contradictory and lacking in direction

Question 32

Traditional democracy

Answer 32

Equality in voting: one person = one vote
●Effective participation
●Enlightened understanding: free press, free speech
●Citizens control the policy agenda
●Inclusion: open citizenship
●Majority rule with minority rights
●Representation

Question 33

Demographics

Answer 33

statistical data relating to the population and particular groups within it.

Question 34

Saliency

Answer 34

The state or quality by which it stands out relative to its neighbors.

Question 35

Margin of error

Answer 35

A measure of the accuracy of a public opinion poll