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74 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
VOCAB: A valuable tool for understanding demographic changes. The Constitution requires that the government conduct an actual enumeration of the population every 10 years.
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CENSUS
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VOCAB: The science of population changes.
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DEMOGRAPHY
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VOCAB: Public opinion surveys used by major media pollsters to predict electoral winners with speed and precision.
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EXIT POLL
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VOCAB: A term that refers to the regular pattern by which women are more likely to support Democratic candidates. Women tend to be significantly less conservative than men and are more likely to support spending on social services and to oppose higher levels of military spending.
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GENDER GAP
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VOCAB:The mixing of cultures, ideas, and peoples that has changed the American nation. The United States, with its history of immigration, has often been called a _______.
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MELTING POT
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VOCAB:The emergence on a non Caucasian majority, as compared with a white, generally Anglo-Saxon majority. It is predicted that by about 2060, Hispanic Americans, African Americans, and Asian Americans combined will outnumber White Americans.
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MINORITY MAJORITY
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VOCAB: A technique used by pollsters to place telephone calls randomly to both listed and nonlisted numbers when conducting a survey.
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RANDOM-DIGIT DIALING
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VOCAB: An overall set of values widely shared within a society.
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POLITICAL CULTURE
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VOCAB: A coherent set of beliefs about politics, public policy, and public purpose. It helps give meaning to political event, personalities, and policies.
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POLITICAL IDEOLOGY
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VOCAB: All the activities used by citizens to influence the selection of political leaders on the policies they pursue. The most common but not the only means of _______ in a democracy is voting. Other means include protest and civil disobedience.
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POLITICAL PARTICIPATION
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VOCAB: The process through which an individual acquires his or her particular political orientations - his or her knowledge, feelings, and evaluations regarding his or her political world.
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POLITICAL SOCIALIZATION
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VOCAB: A form of political participation designed to achieve policy change through dramatic or unconventional tactics.
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PROTEST
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VOCAB: The distribution of the population's beliefs about politics and policy issues
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PUBLIC OPINION
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VOCAB: The key technique employed by sophisticated survey researchers, which operates on the principal that everyone should have an equal probability of being selected for a sample.
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RANDOM SAMPLING
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VOCAB: The process of reallocating seats in the House of Representatives every 10 years based on the results of the Census.
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REAPPORTIONMENT
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VOCAB: A relatively small proportion of people who are chosen so as to be a representative of the whole.
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SAMPLE
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VOCAB: The level of confidence in the findings of a public opinion poll. The more people interviewed, the more confident one can be of the results.
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SAMPLING ERROR
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Were political parties mentioned in the Constitution?
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No. (in federalist 10)
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What did the Founding Fathers say about political parties?
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-they will create and exploit conflicts
-small, narrow interests will RULE |
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What are 4 main purposes of political parties?
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1. To win elections
2. Campaigning 3. Form Platforms 4. Link populace to the Government |
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What happened after 9/11?
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Public unanimity at the polls
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Why are public opinion polls taken?
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To find out the level of disagreement in a country and which side the majority favors.
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What was the ruling in the 1999 Department of Commerce vs. U.S. House of Rep.?
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Population sampling could not be used to decide congressional districts.
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When and who were the 3 great waves of immigration?
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1. Before 19th Century, Northwestern Europeans
2. Late 19th and 20th century, Southern and Eastern Europeans 3. Recent Decades, Hispanics + Asians |
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How was the political power of African Americans increased? (%)
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The number of elected officials has increased by 500%
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What was the goal of the Simpson-Mazzoli Act?
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To stop illegal immigration
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Who are the super achievers of the minority majority group?
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Asian Americans,
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What is the worst off minority majority group?
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Native Americans
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What are the 3 main sources of political socialization?
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Family, School, Media.
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What is the key to the accuracy of opinion polls?
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Random sampling
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What are 3 criticisms of public opinion polling?
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1. Politicians more concerned with following than leading
2. Weakens America by distorting the election process 3. Exit polling deters voters |
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In the 2004 Presidential election; only about __% of the voting-age population participated.
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55%
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What is the difference between an initiative and a referendum?
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An initiative is something the public wants to come into existence; a referendum is something that is already in existence that the public wants changed.
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What are 3 differences between US and the rest of the world when it comes to voting?
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1. The US has over 500,000 elected officials.
2. the burden of registration 3. American's have a civic duty |
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Why have the presidential election rates dropped so dramatically since the 19th century?
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It was easier to register and vote back then.
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What are the 3 qualifications for someone to vote in America?
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1. 18 years of age
2. Citizen 3. Have to reside in the state for at least 30 days |
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VOCAB: The belief that in order to support democratic government, a citizen should always vote.
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CIVIC DUTY
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VOCAB: A process permitted in some states whereby voters may put proposed changes in the state constitution to a vote if sufficient signatures are obtained on petition calling for such a referendum.
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INITIATIVE
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VOCAB: A characterization of elections by political scientists meaning that they are almost universally accepted as a fair and free method of selecting political leaders. When __________ is high, as in the United States, even the losers accept the result peacefully. (Gore after the Supreme Court ruling in 2000)
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LEGITIMACY
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VOCAB: The idea that the winning candidate has a mandate from the people to carry out his or her platforms and politics. Politicians like the theory better than political scientists do.
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MANDATE THEORY OF ELECTIONS
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VOCAB: Passed in 1993, the act went into effect for the 1996 election, it requires states to permit people to register to vote at the same time they apply for driver's license, mail in and at state offices (like welfare)
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MOTOR VOTER ACT
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VOCAB: Electoral choices that are made on the basis of the Voter's policy preferences and on the basis of where the candidates stand on policy issues.
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POLICY VOTING
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VOCAB: The belief that one's political participation really matters - that one's vote can make a difference.
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POLITICAL EFFICACY
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VOCAB: Voting for a candidate because one favors his or her ideas for addressing issues after the elections
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PROSPECTIVE VOTING
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VOCAB: A state-level method of direct legislation that gives voters a chance to approve or disapprove proposed legislation, or a proposed constitutional amendment.
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REFERENDUM
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VOCAB: The legal right to vote, extended to African Americans by the 15th Amendment, to women by the 19th amendment, and to 18 year olds by the 26th amendment
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SUFFRAGE
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VOCAB: A system adopted by the states that requires voters to register well in advance of Election Day. A few states permit Election Day registration.
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VOTER REGISTRATION
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What are political parties?
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-Linkage institutions, intermediaries
-A group of people with broad common interests, who organize in elections, control gov. and therefore control government policy. |
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VOCAB: The gradual disengagement of people and politicians from the parties, as seen in part by shrinking party identification.
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Party Dealignment
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Who was the first elected female African American Senator?
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Carol Moseley-Brown
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Which country did immigrants flee from the oppressive Marxist government of Fidel Castro?
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Cuba
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2000 Census: whites, African Americans, Hispanic, Asian
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71%,12%,12%,4%
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What California proposition, passed in 1994, sought to cut illegal immigrants from all public services
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Proposition 187
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What is the fastest growing age group in America and what program is it putting pressure on?
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Over 65. Social Security.
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What is called the "New Parents"?
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The Mass Media
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What political ideology supports a wider scope (i.e. expanded role and power) for the national government?
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Liberal
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What political ideology supports a less active scope of government (i.e. smaller federal government and more states' rights) giving free reign to the private sector?
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Conservative
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Breakdown of conservatives, moderates and liberals (%)
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30% 40% 30%
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African Americans place a higher priority on what two programs?
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Social Welfare and Affirmative Action
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Was Ronald Reagan a liberal or conservative?
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Conservative
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Was LBJ a liberal or conservative?
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Liberal
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What 4 demographics affect voting? And how?
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1. Education - more education, more likely
2. Age - older more likely 3. Race - Minorities less likely 4. Gender - women vote more |
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VOCAB: Instead of party focused politics, television has caused ________ _______ politics.
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CANDIDATE CENTERED
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What are the 3 "heads" of the party?
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1. Electorate (any people identified with party)
2. Organization (national office, staff, etc) 3. Party in Government (elected officials) |
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VOCAB: Translating public opinion into policy requires media, interest groups, parties, and elections. These are collectively known as __________ ___________
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LINKAGE INSTITUTIONS
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VOCAB: Voting for one party for one office and another party for other offices is called: __________ _________
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TICKET SPLITTING
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Which party was the anti-slavery party?
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Republican
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VOCAB: After Hoover's disastrous handling of the depression, FDR offered America a ________ __________
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NEW DEAL
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VOCAB: LBJ continued the expansion of government with his social programs called the __________ __________
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GREAT SOCIETY
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What are the 3 basic varieties of 3rd parties?
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1. Promote a controversial issue of extreme ideology
2. Splinter parties (offshoots of other parties) 3. Popular individual (e.g. Perot) |
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What political system is firmly entrenched in American politics?
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Two Party System
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VOCAB: Lack of ability for the government to easily deal with major policy concerns due to members of Congress and elected officials toeing the party line. This is called _____________
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GRIDLOCK
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What percentage of African Americans call themselves democrats?
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90-95%
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VOCAB: A unique American institution, created by the Constitution, providing for the selection of the president by electors chosen by the state parties. Although its vote usually reflects a popular majority, the winner-take-all rules give clout to big states.
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Electoral College
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