Political Science

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pluralism

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the theory that all interests are and should be free to compete for influence in the government. The outcome of this competition is compromise and moderation

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interest group

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individuals who organize to influence the government's programs and policies

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public interest groups

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groups that claim they serve the general good rather than only their particular interest

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membership association

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an organized group in which members actually play a substantial role, sitting on committees and engaging in group projects

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staff organization

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type of membership group in which a professional staff conducts most of the group's activities

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collective goods

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benefits, sought by groups, that are broadly available and cannot be denied to nonmembers

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free riders

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those who enjoy the benefits of collective goods but did not participate in acquiring them

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informational benefits

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special newsletters, periodicals, training programs, conferences, and other information provided to members of groups to entice others to join

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material benefits

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special goods, services, or money provided to members of groups to entice others to join

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solidary benefits

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selective benefits of group membership that emphasize friendship, networking, and consciousness raising

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purposive benefits

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selective benefits of group membership that emphasize the purpose and accomplishments of the group

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New Politics movement

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a political movement that began in the 1960s and '70s, made up of professionals and intellectuals for whom the civil rights and antiwar movements were formative experiences. The New Politics movement strengthened public interest groups.

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lobbying

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a strategy by which organized interest seek to influence the passage of legislation or other public policy by exerting direct pressure on members of the legislature

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iron triangle

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the stable, cooperative relationships that often develop among a congressional committee, an administrative agency, and one or more supportive interest groups. Not all of these relationships are triangular, but the iron triangle is the most typical

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issue network

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a loose network of elected leaders, public officials, activists, and interest groups drawn together by a specific policy issue

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institutional advertising

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advertising designed to create a positive image of an organization

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grassroots mobilization

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a lobbying campaign in which a group mobilizes its membership to contact government officials in support of the group's position

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political action committee

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a private group that raises and distributes funds for use in election campaigns

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public opinion

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citizens' attitudes about political issues, leaders, institutions, and events

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values

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basic principles that shape a person's opinions about political issues and events

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political ideology

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

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attitude

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a specific preference on a particular issue

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liberty

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freedom from government control

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equality of opportunity

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a widely shared American ideal that all people should have the freedom to use whatever talents and wealth they have to reach their fullest potential

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democracy

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a system of rule that permits citizens to play a significant part in the governmental process, usually through the election of key public officials

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political socialization

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the induction of individuals into the political culture; learning the underlying beliefs and values on which the political system is based

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agents of socialization

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social institutions, including families and schools, that help to shape individuals' basic political beliefs and values

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gender gap

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a distinctive pattern of voting behavior reflecting the differences in views between women and men

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libertarianism

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a political ideology that emphasizes freedom and voluntary association with small government

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socialism

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a political ideology that emphasizes social ownership or collective government ownership and strong voernment

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liberal

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those who generally support social and political reform; extensive governmental intervention in the economy: the expansion of federal social services; more vigorous efforts on behalf of the poor, minorities, and women; and greater concern for consumers and the environment

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conservative

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those who generally support the social and economic status quo and are suspicious of efforts to introduce new political formulae and economic arrangements. Conservatives believe that a large and powerful government poses a threat to citizens' freedom

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marketplace of ideas

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the public forum in which beliefs and ideas are exchanged and compete

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public-opinion polls

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scientific instruments for measuring public opinion

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sample

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a small group selected by researchers to represent the most important characteristics of an entire population

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simple random sample

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a method used by pollsters to select a representative sample in which every individual in the population has an equal probability of being selected as a respondent

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random digit dialing

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a polling method in which respondents are selected at random from a list of ten-digit telephone numbers, with every effort made to avoid bias in the construction of the sample

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sampling error

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polling error that arises based on the small size of the sample

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social desirability effect

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the effect that results when respondents in a survey report what they expect the interviewer wishes to hear rather than what they believe

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selection bias

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polling error that arises when the sample is not representative of the population being studied, which creates errors in over-representing or under-representing some opinions

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push polling

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a polling technique in which the questions are designed to shape the respondent's opinion

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bandwagon effect

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a shift in electoral support to the candidate whom public opinion polls report as the front-runner

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median voter theorem

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a proposition predicting that when policy options can be arrayed along a single dimension, majority rule will pick the policy most preferred by the voter whose ideal policy is to the left of half of the voters and to the right of exactly half of the voters