Unit 4: Political Culture and Ideologies Flashcards
Conservative
Tend to believe and support
- smaller role of federal gvt
- smaller = cut taxes, tax structure consistent
- anti-regulation of business
- self-determination
Criticisms:
- too much trust in businesses
- pretend some problems don’t exist
Liberals
Tend to believe and support
- expanded rule in achieving justice equality
- government should actively regulate
- protect Americans from inadequacy
- Progressive tax
Criticisms:
- too damn expensive
- crushes individual freedom
- too much dependency
Individualism
High priority on what individual thinks
- high priority on individual rights
Political Culture
Some things all Americans can agree on: shared beliefs/values for both parties
- Individualism
- equal of opportunity
- free enterprise
- rule of law
- limited gvt
Free Enterprise
buying and selling of goods in marketplace
- you can have the option to buy whatever you want
Rule of Law
is anybody above the law? answer SHOULD be no
gvt isn’t king - only structure and source
Limited Government
Federal government should have limited powers
Ideology
Approach to achieve political culture
Valence Issue
Public is united and rival parties adopt similar positions to gain more support
Wedge Issues
Issues the public are split about
Saliency
The degree to which an issue is important to a particular individual or group
Moderates
Americans who agree with policies on both sides
- tend to lean one way but don’t have to
Libertarian
Drastically smaller government role
- liberty from federal government
- if it involved the gvt its a no
- no getting involved in other countries issues
Progressive
Leaning left in line with liberal
- more drastic change and reform
Political Socialization
When and how we get our opinions
- typically during teens, usually consistent through life
- most consistent is our parents
Demographic
The study of a population based on factors like age or race
Socioeconomic Status
How much money you had growing up and where you lived
Party Identification
Liberals tend to be democrats and conservatives tend to be republicans
Globalization
Process resulting growing interconnectedness of the world
- interdependence of economics and political systems
Generational Effect
Defining features for each generation that can influence political opinions
Silent Generation
1925-1945
- Exposed to the effects of the great depression and WWII
- drastically low birth rates
Baby Boomers
1946-1964
- big population growth
- civil rights movements
- vietnam war
Generation X
1965-1981
- no real defining events for them
- red scare (?)
Millennials
1982-1997
- right at the turn of the millenium
- 9/11
- first to experience internet arising
Life Cycle Effect
Not as unique for each generation
- as you go through various cycles in life, the issues you choose to care about perhaps evolve
- effects every generation but at different life points
Benchmark Polls
Starting point to data gathering
- e.g. US Today asking if people would vote for the Rock
Tracking Polls
- When questions word for word are asked over and over again to different people; has to be word for word
- shows how societies opinions shift
Exit Polls
Election day is ONLY time these can be used
- when exiting polls
- who’d you vote for and demographics
- collect data for election
Approval Ratings
Showing the people in government what Americans think of the job the gvt is doing
Random Sample
When polling to get general American ideals, sample, has to be random to truly represent everyone
Weighting/Stratification
Used when conducting polling
- adjustments to surveys during analysis so selected demographics reflect their values in the population
Margin of Error
- How inaccurate it could be
- how much flexibility there could be in the results
- if polls don’t have this, no good
Push Polling
Not trying to gage public opinion, rather shape or push opinions through wording
Bandwagon Effect
Follow the crowd
- undecided may vote for whoever’s in the lead instead of who they align more with
- creates exaggerated outcomes
Social Desirability
Instead of picking whats true to us, we choose what society wants or expects out of us
Party Platform
Each party decides before the election what the main focus will be - summer before election
Agenda
Start the process for laws or lawmaking and policy changing
- have someone put their ideas on the table
Fiscal Policy
How we’ll spend money and where to get it
- taxes
- through passage of laws (Congress)
Keynesian Economics
Favored by democrats
- gvt active role in economy (FDR)
- gvt growing in fast, step in to slow things like with placing taxes
- business regulation
- stimulus checks during pandemic
Supply-Side Economics
Stupid Reaganomics
Favored by Republicans
- favoritism of businesses
- lower taxes for them, independence
- more employment rate
- market will naturally stimulate
IRS - Internal Revenue Service
Gvt agency that prescribes and regulations for tax revenues collection
16th Amendment
Gave federal government ability to tax income
Progressive Tax
- higher percentages on higher incomes
- the more money you make the higher percentages you’ll pay
- favored by Democrats
- republicans don’t like this cuz they cheap
Flat Tax
Porportional Tax
- everyone pays the same percent regardless of income
Monetary Policy
Controlling the flow of money through business rates
- how to fix the economy when we need it
- Federal Reserve
- Interest Rates
Inflation
Decrease in dollar value
- rise in prices
Federal Reserve Board
- Interest rates for smaller banks
- makes it either more difficult to get hands on money (if high) or easier (if low)
Social Welfare
Policies that provide benefits to individuals, particularly to those in need
Entitlement
If you meet the criteria, whatever that may be - entitled to money from the government
- have to be of a specific group
- Democrats support; republicans want to scale down
Social Security Act - 1935
How much you’ve paid to social security and how long you’ve worked
- meant to supplement retirement income
- give old people a little something for how they’ve worked for US
- 6.2% of pay
Means Test
Would you have the means to pay if we weren’t giving you money
Medicare/Medicaid
- 1.45% of your income
- disabled aid (medicaid)
- elderly (over 65) - (medicare)
- have to meet qualifications
Affordable Care Act (2010)
Reform healthcare by providing more Americans with Affordable healthcare and quality health insurance
- curving growth in healthcare spending
