Vocab Chapter 15

Question 1

Elites

Answer 1

Individuals in a position of authority, often those with a higher level of education than the population at large

Question 2

Public Opinion

Answer 2

opinions held by private individuals that governments find it prudent to heed

Question 3

Political Culture

Answer 3

The dominant values and beliefs of a political community

Question 4

Straw Poll

Answer 4

An unscientific survey of popular views

Question 5

Political Socialization

Answer 5

The process by which individuals come to adopt the attitudes, values, beliefs and opinions of their political culture

Question 6

Life Cycle Effects

Answer 6

The impact of age related factors in the formation of political attitudes, opinions, and beliefs

Question 7

Generational Effects

Answer 7

The impact of events experienced by a generational cohort on the formation of common political orientations

Question 8

Cohort

Answer 8

The members of one’s own generation

Question 9

Gender Gap

Answer 9

Systematic variation in political opinions that exists between males and females

Question 10

Direction

Answer 10

The attribute of an individual’s opinion that indicates a preference for or against a particular issue

Question 11

Salience

Answer 11

The attribute of an individual’s opinion that indicates how central it is to her or his daily concerns

Question 12

Intensity

Answer 12

The attribute of an individuals opinion that measures how strongly it is held

Question 13

Stability

Answer 13

The attribute of an individual’s opinion that measures how consistently it is held

Question 14

Informational Support

Answer 14

The attribute of an individual’s opinion that measures his or her amount of knowledge concerning the issue

Question 15

Benchmark Survey

Answer 15

A campaign poll that measures a candidate’s strength at the time of entrance into the electoral race

Question 16

Trial Heat Survey

Answer 16

A campaign poll that measures the popularity of competing candidates in a particular electoral race

Question 17

Push Poll

Answer 17

Campaign tactic that attacks an opponent while pretending to be a poll

Question 18

Exit Poll

Answer 18

interview of voters as they leave the polling place

Question 19

Scientific Poll

Answer 19

Any poll using proper sampling designs

Question 20

Sample

Answer 20

The individuals whose opinions are actually measured

Question 21

Population

Answer 21

The people whose opinions are being estimated through interviews with samples of group members

Question 22

Probability Sampling

Answer 22

A sample design showing that each individual in the population has known probability of being included in the sample

Question 23

Simple Random Sampling

Answer 23

Technique of drawing a sample for interview in which all members of the targeted population have the same probability of being selected for interview

Question 24

Systematic Sampling

Answer 24

A sample design to ensure that each individual in the population has an equal chance of being chosen after the first name or number is chosen at random

Question 25

Sampling Error

Answer 25

The measure of the degree of accuracy of a poll based on the size of the sample

Question 26

Leading Question

Answer 26

A question worded to suggest a particular answer desired by the pollster

Question 27

Nonattitudes

Answer 27

Opinions generated by a a poll that do not exists in reality

Question 28

Political Cynicism

Answer 28

The view that government officials look out mostly for themselves

Question 29

Political Efficacy

Answer 29

The belief that an individuals actions can have an impact on the political process

Question 30

Political Ideology

Answer 30

A cohesive set of beliefs that form a general philosophy about the role of government

Question 31

Liberalism

Answer 31

Political philosophy that combines a belief in personal freedoms with the belief that the government should intervene in the economy to promote greater equality

Question 32

Conservatisim

Answer 32

Political philosophy that rests on belief in traditional intuitions and a minimal role for government in economic activity

Question 33

Populist

Answer 33

Political philosophy expressing support for greater economic equality and for traditional social values

Question 34

Libertarianism

Answer 34

Political philosophy that espouses strong support for individual liberty in both social and economic areas of life

Question 35

Ideologue

Answer 35

One who thinks about politics almost exclusively through the prism of his or her ideological perspective